The Price of Education
by Draco'a Draca
Summary: PG-13 for future installments, if there turns out to be any. We go to Canada in this one guys, so put on your riding boots!
1. Prologue

To the reader: First of all I'd like to say I don't own any of the characters, except Mr. Cassar; also I would like to say that I know all of these people do not go to muggel studies, but I did it this way so there could be an interesting story, so in reviews it would be less trouble for you to not add that. So take your bathroom brake now, get that snack out of the fridge and sit back and relax. Oh, and before I forget, this story contains things some might not understand so I'll put a short and straightforward dictionary for these words. D.D Bltchy_mama@hotmail.com.   
  
  
The price of education by: Draco's Draca  
  
Prologue  
What is the price of education exactly? I know, it's doing what the Teachers want.  
  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way to their first Muggle studies class of their sixth year. They had it with Slythern this year and Ron was complaining loudly at the moment about it.  
  
"I don't know why they always put us with those dim-wits, I think they think that we will get along after they stick together enough times. I mean if I'm partnered with Malfoy one more time I'll-"  
  
"Ron, shhhhhhhh! There is Professor Cassar!" Cassar was the new muggel studies teacher, he was a mudblood as Malfoy often called him, and he came from Canada and was an all-together nice guy. He had talked about a special assignment in their last class, at the end of their fifth year (he had been filling in for their last teacher, Miss. Cue, who had an accident.) and Hermione was over excited. The professor was talking to a younger student who seemed to have lost his way. Cassar seemed to be just as confused as the young student; he looked up to see Hermione, Harry and Ron watching and smiled. He waved them over and, though Ron silently complained, they went.  
  
"Miss Granger could you give me a hand here?" Hermione eagerly nodded to help the teacher, she stood tall and ready. "Well this young man would like to know where to find his potions class, would you do me a favour and show mister Klieg to the correct room, you will be excused from my class for today." Hermione's face fell, she didn't want to miss a single class, Mr. Cassar seemed to realize it and he continued. " But I think Mr. Weasly would rather miss the class." He said turning to Ron who turned a little red in the face. " So off you go Mr. Weasly, we wouldn't want Mr. Klieg late on the first day. The bell will ring in a few minutes." Ron pulled the kid along a few corridors and around a corner, a smile on his face; he had gotten out of a class and didn't even have to say anything.  
  
"So shall we move into the class?" Mr Cassar.  
  
"Lets." Said a cold, sneering voice from behind them. Hermione turned first to see Draco Malfoy, he was looking taller and he had filled out. No longer a small spindly fourteen-year-old boy, instead he was a young man, broad shoulders and everything. Mr Cassar didn't get the feuds between the houses, and it showed every time one of the students would make a comment. Hermione could see the teachers face fall and decided to make nothing off Malfoy's comment.  
  
"Yes," She said cheerfully, "Lets." A slightly stunned look appeared on both Harry and Malfoy's faces, but most off all on Professor Cassar's, but his surprise turned into delight and he moved into the class and motioned the five students (Crabbe and Goyle are obviously always there) to take a seat.  
  
"Now," Professor Cassar said, " The seats will change each day that we are here, so I hope all of you don't mind sitting next to each other at one time." The rest of the class moved into the class noisily, and Mr. Cassar didn't here the groans coming from the already seated five. He turned smiling to the rest of the class and started the class off by telling them about his marking plan. The period wasn't anything important until the end, when he introduced the special assignment.  
  
"I will be taking all of you to Canada," the class exchanged excited glances, even Malfoy and his two knuckleheads. " We will be going to Ontario, that is where I grew up, to a place called Brampton. There, there is a place where I know well, it is called ClaireVille Ranch. We will be learning to handle and to ride horses." The class started to cheer and talk loudly; Mr. Cassar hushed them and waited a few seconds while they settled back into their spots. "I'm glad you are all excited, this will be a great muggel experience, we will not of course be using magic, but as it is wizard law you are all permitted to bring your wands." He explained as he heard the Slytherins groan. "It is a non-magical area and no on there knows that there is such a thing as Wizards. Well except Daniela, she is one of many borders there, when she isn't riding she is reading, some thing muggels call-can anyone tell me the word they use? Hermione?"  
  
"Fantasy, or Fiction." Hermione said brightly. Mr. Cassar nodded and turned to his desk, he grabbed a stack of papers and handed them out.  
  
" A letter exactly like this has been sent to each of your parents of guardian. We have already gotten a response from all and the only one not going in Crabbe, so poor Mr. Crabbe will have to stay here and do work." Hermione saw Goyle give Crabbe and Malfoy a questioning look but then turned back to the teacher as he explained further. "We will be leavening tomorrow, by portkey, and I expect you all to pack pants and muggle only clothes. If you do not have any we will work something out don't worry. The bell rang and Cassar told them to sit still. "You will not have any other classes today, we have decided you need most of the day to pack for the trip, please stay behind if you need clothes and Mr. Potter can you please fill Mr. Weasly in and tell him to come to me if he has any other questions. Class dismissed." Hermione was surprised to see how many of her classmates needed to stay behind to get clothes, but was even more surprised to see Malfoy walk right out of the class without stopping.   
Hermione and Harry left the class and made their way to the common room. They bumped into Ron at the Portrait hole and Hermione rushed to tell him about the trip. Ginny came over and started to talk to Hermione about horses. Apparently Hermione had taken lessons and wasn't half bad. After Ginny left to go to her next class Hermione decided they had to pack, she shoved Ron and Harry up their stairs and went up her own.  
  
*  
  
It was pretty restless night for the Gryffindors, as well for the Slytherins, each student contemplating the next day and what came with it.   



	2. Chapter 1 Sexy Malfoy

Wow can we say update already! I never intended to have this much of a time space, but I have been doing a lot of writing off the computer so it doesn't help when I loose half a story. I promise to work on this and to check on whet I can do for my other story. I hope no one wants to hurt me just yet, though for me. As before these will all be short chapters but I would like to have a few more of them closer together so enjoy and Review!  
  
A/N: I have decided this is their last year at Hogwarts, year 7 (:O)  
  
Sexy Malfoy  
  
Hermione woke with a start. She soon knew why.  
  
"YAY!" Lavender yelled jumping off of Hermione's bed and onto the next to make the same wake up attack on Parvarti. "We have only a half hour so everyone UP!" That was a first, hermione thought to herself, they were usually the ones to have to wake up Lavender and drag her out of bed.  
  
"Half and hour? How long have you been up?" Parvarti asked, detangling herself from her lush crimson covers.  
  
"A few hours!" lavender said bouncing down the steps to the common room. Hermione groaned and left to the washroom she had the fastest shower she could manage and used a charm she had picked up that summer on her hair to make the puffy mess silky with rigid curls. She dressed in her muggel clothes and left.  
  
She met Ron and Harry at the bottom of the stirs that Lavender had disappeared down, and they went down together to the early breakfast. Ginny met up with them, chatting with Hermione about horses and how much they loved them, and so on.  
  
Looking around the great hall, Hermione noticed how different everyone looked in his or her muggel clothes. Neville look silly a borrowed shirt and baseball cap. Hermione laughed to herself about the different combinations her fellow students had made. She was giggling until she saw one of the Slytherins, Malfoy.  
  
The first thought that came to her head was HOT!! Malfoy was wearing tight black jeans and a tight undershirt style shirt, which showed off his huge mussels and is eight packs. She, obviously wasn't the only one who noticed Malfoy, about a dozen girls were standing five feet behind him checking out his butt, their heads turned slightly to the side and mouths open, as if in deep thought. Hermione realized she was doing it too, and tried to snap herself out of it but it was no use.  
  
"Who's he trying to impress?" Ron said grabbing toast and a knife. Harry turned to the direction of the Slytherin table, then to the crowed of girls behind him, and finally to Hermione, still staring, oblivious to the boys' conversation.  
  
"Apparently everybody." Harry said with a smirk at Hermione, who had broken her line of concentration when Snape walked in the Hall, wearing blue jeans and a sweater, and it was the only thing that looked well worn in the hall, the big "I Love NY" slightly faded. "Hey look at Snape!" Harry said, Ron looked over and burst out laughing, Harry and Hermione soon joined and got looks from a lot of people.  
  
Dumbledor entered the hall, it got quiet and he announced the arrangements from the hall door. " Professors Snape and Cassar will be the supervisors for this trip and you are to all listen to them. When you get to the secluded area, by port key you will follow them to the ranch where you all will be staying. There will be tents, muggel style-" groans from the students. "- And there will be arranged partners, there is no separation by houses, you will all be one big family-" more groans "-it is law that you are allowed to keep your wands, but I don't want to hear about anything happening, the only reasons they will be still legally allowed is because you will need them for medicinal purposes if an accident happens on a trail. We will start the portkeys now. I would like the head boy and girl to come forward and leave now, you will make sure that no one wonders off until the Professors get their." Hermione and Malfoy moved to the back of the hall where Dumbledor stood. Hermione could see the faces of the Malfoy fan club, they weren't happy about this arrangement. But she wasn't bothered about that; Malfoy was ahead how her and she had a very nice view indeed. When they had reached the headmaster she pointed the entrance hall. There they found Dobby and a few other house elves.  
  
It turned out, because of the great distance they needed to travel, there was a special kind of wrist strap to make sure both of the students made it out to the spot. Hermione shivered as Malfoy's arm brushed against hers, he looked at her then turned away. Dobby handed a box to Hermione and she opened the lid, inside were at least a hundred buttons. They were like the ones she had made in her 4th year but they didn't have anything written on them, just plain sky blue buttons. As soon as she picked one up she felt that unpleasant pull on her navel, she reached out and grabbed the only thing close to her. Malfoy's hand.  
  
This took longer then when they went to the cup, and it only made the pulling worse, Hermione's face turned pale and her eyes unfocused, her head became light as her body became heavy, and in true embarrassment she fainted.  
  
  
  
  
  
Hermione stirred, she hadn't bee out for long at all, a few minutes. She grabbed at the grass underneath her, but came up with cloth. She opened up her eyes, for the first time and saw what her position was *(A/N: don't be nasty)* Malfoy was holding her up, supporting her with one arm around her waist, he was recovering himself from the long trip taking slow deep breaths.  
  
Hermione realized what it would look like if anyone came and saw them, so she stood up straight, thinking that Malfoy's arm would loosen, but id didn't. In fact its pressure grew tighter. Then as if he had just remembered who he was, he dropped his arm and took a wobble of a step away.  
  
Within a minute there were 5 more arrivals. Hermione had no problem keeping the kids to stay where they were, most of them grew sick and had to rest a long bit. When Ron came with Harry, you could tell that he wasn't fazed, especially next to the pale-faced Harry. Hermione quickly joined them when the professors arrived and secretly watched the back of Malfoy's head as they started the short walk to a dirt road. It wasn't early but there weren't any cars on the narrow road. Halfway there Cassar turned to them and told them, if asked, that their bus dropped them off at the edge of the road and left in a hurry. They soon reached the front gate, above the gate was a wooden sign reading 'ClaireVille', they had arrived.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N I need some feedback of I will scream! I want some reviews before I get to the next chapter!!!!! I want to hear what you think, questions and stuff like that, constructive criticism welcome but pointless flames are, well pointless! Love lots! D.D 


	3. Chapter 2 Zanny Drakkie!

Price Of Education  
  
Chapter 2 "Zanny Drakkie!!!"  
  
The first horse they saw was a beautiful chestnut; she was tied to a fence just outside what looked like a little one story house. The words Claire Ville Ranch were painted in chipped paint across the entrance at the end of the long road. But few were paying attention to the horse, or to the beautifully coloured flowers that surrounded them. Nope all eyes were on a large rabbit being chased by a dog not much bigger then itself.  
  
"Chyan!" a voice rang out, the students whipped their heads towards the little 'house', a tall girl, who looked around the age of 16, came pelting out after 'Chyan'. She ran forward about 20feet until she say the group blocking the road. She gave a great whoop and ran towards the two Professors; dismissing Snape she jumped Professor Cassar, knocking him over.  
  
"Mark! Buddy!" she yelled, happily, "its about time! That damn dog has had the run of this place, you call her right this minute before I shoot her!" the Professor chuckled before putting two fingers to his lips and whistled a high pitched note. The heads of the students snapped back to where the dog was chasing the rabbit threw bushes. As soon as the whistle left the teacher's mouth the dog skidded to a stop and bounded back towards the group settling in front of Cassar, who gave the dog a friendly pat and turned to the staring students.  
  
"Class," he said as the girl snagged hold of the dog's collar. This is Daniela, and this is Chyan, my favourite team."  
  
"Yea, when you don't have to spend half the night herding up the herding dog!" A voice cut in. The class craned their heads to look at the owner of the voice, who was behind the two professors and Daniela.  
  
"Chanda!" Cassar exclaimed, grabbing the young woman behind him and hugging her quickly, tugging her hair playfully. "Class this is my cousin, she runs this place and all 50 horses here." He pushed her forward and she smiled to the group of kids.  
  
"That's right, and the first thing I want, is for you to all go to that filed there," she pointed to a large grassy area that had their tents and was littered with the odd picnic table, she continued, " and get settled into your tents, there will be a twenty minute break and then we will start your training. " She grabbed the dog from the girl and the started back towards the little 'house'.  
  
"Right, this way," Snape said leading down to the group of thirteen tents. He pulled a list out of his pocket and motioned for silence. Then motioned for them to sit, getting few complaints about sitting on the grass. " The tents are marked one to thirteen. Please respectfully place your things inside yours an your roommate's tent." He cleared his voice and began to read from his sheet: "Number 1, Mr Weasley and Mr. Goyle Number 2, Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy Number 3 Miss Granger and Miss Parkinson Number 4 Miss Brown and Miss Boot"  
  
Hermione looked to her friends, dumbfounded, they silently returned her look, as everyone else received their arrangements. The only people who were fuming about who they were placed were Hanna Abbott and Susan Bones, both from Hufflepuff, and best friends. Hermione decided not to let this small thing bother, she ignored the horrible looks Pansy was shooting at her as they both moved towards the tent marked 3. They reached it at the same time and Hermione was about to step into the flap when Pansy pushed her through, muttering something that sounded like ''outta my way mudblood'.  
  
Hermione, choosing to ignore the other girl, placed her things on one of the cots in the medium size tent and quickly left the fuming Pansy to cool down, which she doubted would happen anytime soon. She went to Harry's tent to see if he was ok, at least Harry and Ron weren't to far away if Pansy wanted to kill her, the guy's tents were right to the left of her and Pansy's tent. She stepped up to the closed flap.  
  
"Knock knock." She said slipping into the tent. Harry was on one cot and Malfoy on the other one, and they were doing something Hermione never thought she would see ever in her life, and she considered the fact that she never believed in magic before she got her letter to Hogwarts. The two boys were rolling on their cots holding their stomach, which hurt from the effort of laughing so hard. Laughing! They weren't laughing at each other, they were laughing as though they were two of the oldest friends sharing a joke. Hermione gaped at the sight until Harry looked up and saw, he stopped laughing right away, but Malfoy hadn't seen her and was still laughing.  
  
"Hermione." Harry said surprised to see her in the doorway of their tents.  
  
"Yea I know," Malfoy said between raspier breaths still face down on his cot, " that's why its so funny, you and me we-" he was cut off as Harry had promptly threw his shoe at him head. " What was the that for you git?" Malfoy exclaimed rubbing the back of his head, sitting all the way up, he followed Harry's gaze and gave a little jump at the sight of Hermione at the door, who was getting uncomfortable under Harry's fixed gaze. "Oh God." Malfoy said, mouth-hanging open. That went on another few seconds before he stood up and walked to the flap. "Well," he said, moving Hermione out of the way. "This is distinctly uncomfortable. See you." And he left.  
  
Hermione stared after him and then turned to Harry. " What was that all about?" she asked, crossing her arms. She hadn't liked how she was somehow part of the little joke, and she was going to find out what it had all been about. Harry stiffened in his 'I'm not saying' way and shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"It was nothing, lets get out of here, Ron probably needs rescuing by now, and Goyle isn't the nicest roommate." Hermione reluctantly followed him out of the tent and to the next one over. They could hear yelling from inside and when they went in Ron was standing on top of his cot and Malfoy was straining to holding Goyle back. Goyle was outrages, apparently, because Ron had kicked over his suitcase and his things were ruined because a bottle had broken and ink was on all of his things.  
  
Harry walked around to Ron and yanked him off the cot. The turned to walk out when Malfoy called to her. She turned back as Malfoy tried to firmly sit Goyle down on the cot.  
  
"Clear up this mess will you, I have my hands full." Hermione shook her head, and started to walk out.  
  
"We were told not to use our wands, Malfoy." He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. She winced as she stumbled back. She looked to Malfoy to snap but he was pointing his wand at her. Backwards.  
  
"Use my wand, I don't think they are tracing spells but if they are then it will be traced to my wand." Goyle looked at Malfoy as if he was crazy, and Hermione imagined that was the same look she was giving him. She took the wand and quickly preformed the spell she used to ink spills, then used the wand to right the upturned suitcase and return the things to their places. Tossing the wand back she turned to leave the tent. "Are you going to take points from him or are you going to leave it up to me?" Malfoy said, finally letting go of Goyle, now that he was cooled down. Hermione turned to him, hands on her hips and regarded him.  
  
"Will you be fair or will you side with your friend?" He looked at her for a second before turning to Goyle, who wasn't even paying attention. He turned back to her and smirked his sexy smirk and leaned into her ear his breath brushing her cheek, spreading Goosebumps down her arm, and he struggled not to shiver.  
  
"What do you think?" He whispered, chills crept up the back of her neck where she could now feel his warm breathe. All to soon the moment was over and he was pulling away, a smug smirk was once again in place on his face. It took a second for her to compose herself before she looked into his eyes, showing him he hadn't affected her, even though she could still feel the Goosebumps.  
  
"I think you should do whatever you feel is right. You arrived first and so saw more of the argument then I did, so its you call, you can tell me the amount of points and I will see that they are taken off without Ron getting into another fight with you or Goyle." Malfoy nodded, thinking a second before, nudging her out the door, chuckling.  
  
"I see, McGonagall really has done a number on you, you're just like her. I on the other hand I am just like Snape, I favour my house. Tell Weasley that 20 points ill be taken off for his disturbance and his unwillingness to get along with a fellow student. Unless you have anything to add I think that will be enough." Hermione shook her head as Malfoy stirred her towards the teachers. Professor Cassar looked up from his work spread out on the picnic table in front of the tents, his smile fading as he saw the look on Hermione face.  
  
"Is there a problem Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy?" He asked setting his Muggle pen down and looking around the two Heads to see if there was a fire or something. Malfoy pushed Hermione closer to the teacher and crossed his arms.  
  
"There was a fight Sir," Hermione said, in her most polite tone. "Mr. Malfoy and myself have discussed it and 20 points from Gryffindor for Ron Weasley." He tone changed slightly as she continued, but she kept her sweetness. "For an act of disturbance and for his unwillingness to get along with a fellow student, at the simple task of bringing his bad respectfully to his tent." Professor Cassar looked disappointed as he took out a piece of paper, he wrote on the fresh sheet the four house names and then -20 under Gryffindor. Then he tacked it up to the closest tree.  
  
"Anymore points taken away I would like you to inform me or Professor Snape and then write them on this paper." Professor Cassar said, turning back to his work and sighing. "It is unfortunate that some of the students cannot get along, I am pleased that the two of you are able to act maturely. I was about to send for you two in a minute so I guess it is a good thing you are here. Please sit." Hermione and Malfoy sat across from the teacher as instructed. " Hermione you mother wrote us telling you are a three time Barrel racing champion, and Draco your father wrote that you own 20 horses yourself and you have been riding all your life. So I don't expect the two of you to take lessons with the rest of the class, so I have booked an arena for the two of you to ride while everyone is out taking lessons." Hermione beamed at the teacher, he was a very cool teacher, and he did try hard to please everyone.  
  
"Thank you sir! This is amazing!" she turned to see Malfoy extend his hand to the teacher and that's when she saw it. And it was amazing! Draco Malfoy was smiling, not smirking not sneering he was smiling a true happy person smile. It changed his whole face; brightening his eye and making him look anything but the evil Malfoy that she knew. She suddenly realized she had been staring and turned to the happy teacher in front of her. He stood and started walking and talking so Hermione and Malfoy followed him towards the little 'house'.  
  
"Excellent! I think I have enough time to introduce you two to the two horses that you will be riding, the other students will be changing their lesson horses at each lesson but I thought you two would like it better if you used my cousin's best horses." The little house turned out to be an open tack room, (for all those non-horse ppl tack is the equipment used for caring and riding a horse or pony) and it was open to a large paddock (a fenced in space where horses are kept) with many horses. The teacher stepped up to the gate and clicked his tongue; about 12 horses looked up and stared at the young man. Then he did the strangest thing, he started to talk baby talk.  
  
"Zanny! Common! Here boy!!" Hermione could see a bay horse's ears prick up and he started to move towards the gate. Before the first one got there Cassar called another horse, by the strangest name. "Drakkie! Lets go!" A stunning black horse jogged over to where the bay was standing and gave a little cry. (Both horses exist they are my Cousin's horses Zantar a two year old and Draco, a 3year old, who we bought with the name, in a complete fluke.) Malfoy had been silently laughing until he heard the name of the second horse.  
  
"What did you call him?" Malfoy asked, his voice slightly strained.  
  
"Guys I would like you to meet Zantar, and Draco. Mr. Malfoy you will be riding Zantar, and Hermione you Draco. They are both very well behaved and well sought after horses (also true), Draco is a champion rodeo horse and Zantar is well disciplined in dressage, both your areas of enjoyment, though I know you are also a skilled roper, I do believe Zantar has also been entered in rodeos in the past. Now you two can take them to the arena behind that barn to the left of the tack room, that's where their stalls and riding things are; everything is plainly marked so you shouldn't have trouble. Tack them up and ride until noon. Don't forget to where helmets its against the law to be without one here if you are under 19(a fact as of September 2001)." The two students nodded and lead the horses to the barn, got them tacked up and Hermione was soon riding laps around the arena.  
  
Malfoy came out leading Zantar, he walked to the edge of the arena and yelled to Hermione from there.  
  
"Granger, if you're such a champion then show me!" Hermione regarded the three barrels in the arena, and squeezed her legs, as the horse started walking Hermione positioned the horse. Giving a great to the side of the horse they flew between the barrels and around them and back doing a triangle of a run. When Hermione steadied the horse in front of Malfoy he had his mouth opened slightly and looked amazed. "I'm impressed Granger, I don't think I expected you to do that, or anything even close to that." Hermione laughed.  
  
" Why don't you show me what you got Malfoy? Or you scared?" that did it, Malfoy was on his horse faster then Hermione could blink. He was right next to her, straight in his saddle looking smug.  
  
"Is that a challenge Granger?" He said reaching over and flicking a piece of dirt off her shoulder.  
  
"Damn Straight it is."  
  
This was going to be one very interesting afternoon.  
  
  
  
I'm sorry this is short again but I'm working on it. The horses that the once in the story are referred to as are real and were once at Claire Ville ranch in Brampton, but now are at other barns. If you have any questions about what's what in the horse world just go ahead and ask in the reviews.  
  
Thank you to the three reviewers I had. 'Me' emaekeigha and lily Luna I'm sorry it took so long for this but I have a big problem that I am not ashamed to admit, I am racist I hate all computers, I'm against them and all they believe in i.e.: freezing, breaking down and not paying attention!!! So there! 


	4. Chapter 3 White Hot Danger

Price Of Education  
  
I keep forgetting disclaimer so here it is, and I don't really feel like making one at each chapter so here is the one for the whole story!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own a thing in this story! All familiar characters belong to J.K Rowling, the ranch Clare Ville is owned by the city of Brampton as it is protected land. The two Horses named Zantar and Draco belong to my cousin, Chanda, Daniela, and Mark Cassar are all real people and Chyan is Chanda's dog. I think that is it now on with the chapter!  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Hermione never before worked so much, while having such fun at the same time. She woke at sit in the morning and helped feed and water the many trail horses. A few hours later she was cleaning and caring for the horses, she then helped saddle and kept the horses watered until the first trail. They even asked her to lead trails on her second day there.  
  
After lunch she went to work with Draco and Malfoy (A/N: I'm sorry if that is confusing), for a few hours they would train the two horses, under a truce to be civil they made the first afternoon there. But even though they were being 'civil' it didn't mean that Hermione could stand him any more then usual, and is certainly didn't mean he was any less partial to her. They would bug each other about their riding technique and training. Hermione had been taught at a mostly English stable but the few Western riders there were ranked among the best in Britain, Malfoys (according to on Draco Malfoy) didn't approve of women doing a man's job. Hermione, in so many words, did not agree.  
  
After training Hermione would go help feed the horses and scrub down the trail horses. She was surprised to receive the large responsibilities like leading trails and feeding the horses, but she supposed Professor Cassar had spoken to Chanda and told her about her determined way of working. What surprised her even more was the fact that Malfoy was also getting the jobs she was, and he didn't complain as she thought he would. In fact in the three days they had been there she often forgot it was Malfoy she was working with. However, Ron didn't seem to.  
  
"How do you do it?" he raved on their third night there. They were sitting around a picnic table finishing up their 'dinner'. Another thing Ron seemed to notice was the quality of the food. Compared to the lavish feasts and home cooked meals he was used to; the cold pizza didn't seem to hit the spot. Not on the first, second or third night they were there that they had it.  
  
"Do what Ron?" Hermione asked rolling her eyes. She knew what he meant but didn't feel like talking about it another time. It always turned out the same, they would talk for about five seconds until they started to fight and then they would stop talking to each other for the rest of dinner until Harry worked it out, again. It looked like that's where they were headed unless some miracle came along.  
  
"How can you work with that git Hermione?" Ron said, tossing his now cold pizza across the table and grabbed his drink. Hermione thought back to Ron's first experience with coke cans as he eyed this one dangerously. One coke explosion was enough for Mr. Ronald Weasley. He continued once he had safely opened the can and took a gulp. "Why don't you go to Professor Cassar and tell him you have working with the slime ball and I'm sure he will let you have your lessons with us." He smiled broadly, 'yes Ron,' Hermione thought, 'let me go back on 16 years or hard training to go over basics'.  
  
"Because, I have fun. It's not so bad. Ron I think you should just worry about yourself for once so I can get on with my life!" Hermione said, triggering the begging of the fight, she might as well hurry it up a bit so she wouldn't have to battle with him all night.  
  
"Well sorry miss-what the bloody hell do you want you slimy git?" Hermione was sure the last part was not directed to her, unless Ron really wanted to start something huge. She looked crossly at him then turned her head where she caught the sight of Malfoy in another one of his sex god outfits. Two words, Tight and black.  
  
"Well," he drawled in his casual 'do-I-really-need-to-answer-that' voice, shifting his arms across his broad chest, "I was sent over to see if Granger here wanted to lead a midnight trail." He turned his gaze from Ron to Hermione expectantly. She was about to answer when Ron cut in, rather rudely, and said something stupid that Hermione didn't catch, because a second later Malfoy coolly replied, "Yes, jealous?" and Ron lunged at him. It was all Harry could do to hold Ron down by the back of his Muggle shirt. His face as red as his hair, he seemed to be fuming from the ears. Hermione wondered what he had said that Malfoy's two words would make him so worked up so quickly.  
  
Hermione quickly decided to get Malfoy out of there before Harry lost control of Ron and there was bloodshed. Grabbing her sprite, Hermione rose from her spot, ignoring the look of horror on Ron's face she nudged the smirking Malfoy towards the group of students selected to go on that night's midnight trail. It wasn't midnight yet, but they were a bunch of teenagers and according to professors, they need sleep, so as soon as it was dark, the trail would start. They were just now losing the last bit of light and decided it was time to tack up the ten horses that were going to be used.  
  
"Would you two get Draco and Zantar," Chanda asked coming to walk with the two students, "I would like them to get used to walking trail, do you think you two will be up to keeping them in line?" Hermione looked to Malfoy who was nodding, she had her worst accident on a trail that put her on and inexperienced horse, she was thrown and stamped on when a horse ahead of her suddenly stopped and startled her horse. Three ribs were broken and her left arm. But that was years ago, and she trusted Draco's riding, he was a rodeo horse and used to other animals freaking out. He had cow smarts and wouldn't flip on her. She too nodded. "Good, go on then get tacked up I'll take care of things here until your back. Your on your own tonight kids." They left Chanda and moved to tack up their two horses. Hermione thought she was acting normally but Malfoy must have picked up on her hesitance with Chanda because she approached her about it.  
  
"What Granger? You can't be afraid of the dark are you?" to this Hermione snorted, she had been afraid of the dark when she was younger, and even now she was easily frightened in the dark. But she expected that they would have a flashlight or something like that on the trail.  
  
"No, It's no that. Its nothing just a stupid thing that happened a long time ago." She didn't look at him until the words were out, and she knew, by the look on his face he didn't believe her in the least. She turned back to the saddle she was putting on Draco and faked a smile.  
  
"I don't think so Granger, what's up? Why the look?" Malfoy asked continuing on Zantar's tack. Hermione was unaware of any look she was giving, she could tell Malfoy was just fishing for answers, she often did it herself to get Ron to tell her something he was inclined to say.  
  
"What look, I don't have any look. You must be imagining things." She said all this rather too quickly, giving herself away. She scolded herself, and waited for Malfoy to flip it around.  
  
"That look that tells me that you are hiding something. Now spill or I will have to use force!" Hermione was mildly frightened until she saw the mocking look on his face. She decided just to tell him, it would probably be better if he knew so he would be prepared to handle Draco if anything happened.  
  
"Its just that when I was 10 they put me on a green (inexperienced) horse while on trail and it freaked out and broke three of my ribs and my arm." She pulled up her sleeve to show him the scar just above her elbow where the milky white bone had pierced. "I had 20 stitches, it's a Muggle form of medicine, and I spent 8 month in a cast, another Muggle thing. So I'm a bit worried about Draco freaking." Malfoy looked somewhat impressed. He shocked Hermione by pulling up the hem of his top and revealing a scar over his belly button.  
  
"I was thrown from my horse and scraped across a nail that was sticking out of a fence, no slitches, or whatever, by father just healed it and we finished our ride." He smirked and finished tightening the girth and started to lead Zantar to the tack room. "I don't think you have to worry about Draco though, he is a great horse and he can keep his cool, it's the cow smarts with rodeo horses. You'll be fine."  
  
Hermione hesitated, was this Malfoy? Was Draco Malfoy reassuring her about something? Would someone inform her exactly how she wound up in buzzaro land, and when the next train out was? Hermione snapped out of her confusion and hurried to catch up with Malfoy who hadn't waited.  
  
"I'm not worried, I know Draco can handle it, I was just a little bit on the nervous side." Hermione felt the need to stand up for herself a little; all this made her seem frail. She had to show Malfoy that she could handle this. "I can handle it even if he does get jumpy." Malfoy smiled. They had reached the others and Chanda was there with a flashlight as Hermione had expected. Before she could go to Chanda Malfoy spoke again.  
  
"Ok, but I'll be right there if anything goes wrong, nothing to worry about. And it will be us students only so if there are any more broken ribs no Muggles to whiteness any magical healing. Ok?" Hermione nodded, in a sort of dazed way. There it was again, Malfoy being nice. Something was defiantly up. Hermione couldn't help note how sexy Malfoy was when he was assuring her, it was probably all about stroking his own ego, being all manly and helping the damsel in distress. But even so she couldn't help staring longingly at the back of his head as he turned to round up the riders.  
  
"Ok!" he said loudly to the group of lounging students. "Lets get a move on. Mount and get ready to ride, anyone needing to use the bathroom, right this minute or else your doing it in the bushes!" Hermione laughed as two girls jumped up and sprinted to the bathroom. She mounted Draco and moved to the entrance to the trail. She could do this. She could, and she would.  
  
*  
  
They had been out for about half an hour when some of the guys asked for a pit stop. Hermione, who was in the front halted the procession and warned them to keep close to the horses. While they were waiting Hermione heard what sounded like a dog howling. She snapped her head to the side where Malfoy was sitting next to her.  
  
"You hear that right?" she asked, he nodded and they heard it again. "That's no dog. It sounds like a wolf." She lowered her voice so the other wouldn't panic, though she wasn't sure she could keep from panicking herself.  
  
"We should be alright, the horses should scare off the wolves." Malfoy said reasonably. "But we should call the others back, make sure they stay close to the horses." Hermione nodded her agreement and composed herself.  
  
"Ok guys," she said calmly, "pit stop is over, lets get going again." She heard the rustling of the bushed and the guys stepped out of the brush and mounted their horses. They must not have heard the wolf, as they were laughing about something but now Hermione could see shadows moving in the brush around them and she was getting frightened very quickly.  
  
"Right," Malfoy said sternly. "Lets get on not best to linger." Hermione nodded and nudged her horse on, instead of falling back to the end of the trail Malfoy kept next to her, eyes alert to the trees around them, ears sharp to the sounds of the night forest around them.  
  
Just as Hermione was relaxing again a great white wolf jumped into the path and howled something awful. Draco reared up and pounded forward. Hermione gave a shriek but found herself off her horse and swung onto the horse next to her legs around Malfoy's waist and his strong arms wrapped around her waist.  
  
For some reason Malfoy was whispering soothing words to her and rubbing her back. She could feel his heart pounding roughly against his ribs and she was afraid it would burst free at that rate. A raindrop landed on Hermione's hand that was clutching at Malfoy's shirt. But it wasn't a raindrop she realised, it was a tear, she was crying, sobbing actually.  
  
She heard and felt Malfoy speaking. His chest was vibrating against her clenched fists, and she looked up to see his eyes boring into her soul. He look concerned, petrified almost. But then that all so familiar smirk returned and Hermione processed his words. "I told you I would be here. Are you ok?"  
  
"I'll be ok, I just need a minute I'm still a little shaky." He was literally she was shaking like a leaf. Malfoy nodded and turned his head to Alex Nott, who was sitting next to him with wide eyes.  
  
"Where did the wolf go?" he asked calmly and Alex shifted and pointed with a shaky finger ahead of them, in the direction they were planning on going.  
  
"It went that way when her horse took off, I think it was scared of being stamped on." Malfoy nodded again and tightened his grip on Hermione as he manoeuvred his horse back the way they had come and started off.  
  
"The horse will find its way back to the ranch, the property is fenced off, is cant leave, and it can take care of itself. Were going straight back so lets hurry up, it's a good thing we have two of these flash things," Malfoy was leading now and he picked up the pace a bit. Hermione relaxed a bit and closed her eyes to try and catch her breath, which was still coming in raspy whispers.  
  
"Your going to be ok, just rest a bit and you'll feel one hundred percent better." Malfoy said rubbing her back, and she believed him. Resting her head on his chest she closed her eyes, a headache creeping up on her.  
  
"Thank you Draco." Hermione said before falling asleep against the rhythm of Malfoy's heart, relaxing her grip on his shirt. She didn't realise she had called him by his first name. He had though.  
  
"Your welcome, Hermione." Malfoy said kissing the top of her head, and breathing in her sent.  
  
**  
  
Ohh do I sense a spark? I think I do! I think this chapter wrote itself! I wasn't really planning on her falling asleep against anyone's chest, in this chapter at least. He he he, well I did plan some of it, like the trail and the wolf, but I do hope Malfoy is right and Draco cant escape the property! Well I'll decide that soon. I can't wait until the next chapter when they get back and Ron sees Hermione sleeping in Malfoy's lap. ;) I'll update soon I think! Sorry another short one, but I am updating frequently so I think it makes up for it.  
  
Thank you Mya14, it helps that you like it so much and I think I'm writing the chapters so quickly because of you review. Love you! 


	5. Chapter 4 Hysterics and Head colds

No time to waste on with the FIC! (  
  
  
  
  
  
The Price of Education  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 4 Hysterics and Head colds  
  
Hermione stirred in her sleep, her dream was turning into a nightmare. It started as it always did. She was standing waiting for her father to pick her up from the train station. He was late and it was beginning to get dark. Suddenly a dark shadow fell across her and a wrist grabbed her wrist. Pulling herself free, Hermione began funning from the shadow unto a crowded platform. She was soon caught in the crowd of passengers and could no longer run. She whips around as the same shadow falls across her and her wrist is taken into a tight grip. She sees only a dark shadow with piercing red eyes. A gaping hole of a mouth opens and the shadow laugh and thundering laugh. She then felt herself falling into the path of the oncoming train. She squeezes her eyes bracing herself for the fall when the dream takes on a very different turn. Her hand connects with another and she is suddenly pulled back onto the platform, seconds before being crushed by the train.  
  
*  
  
"What the bloody hell is going on here!" Ron's voice shook with rage as he approached the riders and the now awake Hermione. She could feel Malfoy stiffen as Ron continued his rant in aver Ron like manner. "What have you done to her you git. If you've hurt her I'll put a curse on your butt ugly family." Hermione mentally rolled her eyes, just like him to assume she couldn't take care of herself. She dared to open her eyes, but she couldn't see anything past Malfoy's broad shoulder. She could feel his arm bracing her still and could tell it probably wasn't the most comfortable position he could be in while riding. She quickly decided to show she was awake before Malfoy had a chance to return an insult or for Ron to start some sort of fist fight.  
  
Pretending to have slept trough Ron's angry outburst, Hermione faked a groaned and stretched, sitting back and straight against the horn of the sadly. Giving Malfoy a mischievous wink, she took a look around, looking at Ron and Harry, who had remained silent while restraining Ron. She fabricated a surprised look and spoke as naturally as she could, given her position with Malfoy's hand resting on her hip, keeping her on the narrow piece of saddle she was sitting on.  
  
"Oh, hello guys you didn't have to wait up for me," she yawned dramatically and continued sweetly. "I'm rather tired, I'll probably go straight to bed." Another yawn and Ron turned instantly livid. Oops.  
  
"Why? Didn't you have a good nap there? I can't imagine Malfoy is a good pillow but you looked quite comfortable." The sarcasm dripped like venom from Ron's tongue, he looked at her in disgust and then to Malfoy in pure hatred. He didn't know it but she like ripping that look from his face and cursing him until he couldn't feel his limbs. He was out of line.  
  
Terrifying story really." Hermione began smiling. "We were about halfway out and the boys wanted a bathroom stop and so we were waiting for them heard a wolf howl something horrible. Anyways we hadn't taken one step when a great big white wolf jumped in our path. It scared the living daylights out of me and spooked Draco into a fit. Before he got away from me, Malfoy here scooped me off Draco and we started back. I was so tired from the fright I fell asleep." That sure had done it, Ron suddenly lost all his angry courage and looked about to apologize but before he could she dropped the sweet and innocent act, and took up the rage she felt towards her friend.  
  
What, Ronald, did you, in your half backed mind think had happened? Well? Did you think I ditched my horse and jumped onto Malfoy's horse so we could snog all the way back? After 7 years I would think you know I'm not like that. I'm not a skanky slut." She grabbed the saddle and expertly swung herself around so she was sitting behind Malfoy then took hold of Malfoy's arm and dropped off Zantar. Ron was about to say something, mouth open, as she stalked by him and Harry, but she silenced him with a warning look. Before she had stalked off completely she turned to Malfoy and asked tiredly if he would explain to Chanda everything that had happened about Draco because she planed on going straight to bed.  
  
Yea," he nodded, to Ron's surprise, as he dismounted and begun to lead Zantar to the trough. "I'll tell her as soon as I finish with these horses." Hermione shook her head she had forgotten about the group of students behind them as she had yelled at Ron, and she was feeling horribly embarrassed.  
  
Oh, I'm sorry Draco, I'll help un-tack of course. I forgot about the other horses. " She started forward ignoring Ron's look of utter shock, she was planning on ignoring him completely. Malfoy shook his head at her and tied Zantar's lead to the fence next to the trough and went to grab the next horse.  
  
No, I'm fine, I'll get Nott to help out, right Alex?" he turned to the rider next to him and received a small curious nod of agreement. "Really we will be fine, sleep." He pushed her towards the tents and her tent stood in the front row very tempting, she gave in after a real yawn surfaced and gave away how tired she really did feel.  
  
Thanks, Night Draco." Hermione said gratefully, she refused to look at Ron but she could hear Ron give a sound of agitation.  
  
Night Hermione." Malfoy replied leading another horse to the trough, also ignoring Ron as he began to hyperventilate, he really did over exaggerate things way too much.  
  
Night, Harry." Hermione said as she gave him a hug, which he mechanically returned, he was staring at Malfoy with an unreadable look that unsettled Hermione's reserve. He was thinking about something else.  
  
Night Herm, sleep tight."  
  
Whatever dreams of sleep Hermione was expecting to get when she reached her tent were dashed as Pansy came out of the tent and crossed her arms in front of her. She gave Hermione her worst look and narrowed her beady eyes; she looked ready for bead, in her nightgown her golden hair up in a messy pony tail and a look of venom on her face. Hermione groaned and tried to move past her into the tent but Pansy wouldn't budge. This was different, in the days they had been there Pansy did as much as they could to avoid each other and ignore each other, as to avoid having to actually speak with one another. Now Pansy was in Hermione's face, and she wasn't in the mood.  
  
"Hello Pansy, what is it?" She tried to get past once more then just stood against the tree in front of their tent, a very tired look on her face, hopefully Pansy would get the point if she just fell asleep standing up. Not very likely. Pansy clenched and unclench her fists now at her side and turned up her nose at her.  
  
"What was that all about Granger?" Pansy said looking past Hermione to the tack room and to where Malfoy was working on un-tacking the horses. Hermione understood right away. Pansy had seen and maybe heard the whole thing and was jealous, it was common knowledge that Draco Malfoy dumped Pansy after a brief fling after their 4th year, Pansy, ever since, has been throwing herself at him trying to seduce him into going with her again. He seemed unfazed by her sultry attempts, except that time she began kissing him in the library, he had been studying and when she had grabbed him he dumped his ink onto her head and stormed out not looking back. Hermione had a good front row view as she was at the next table.  
  
"I have no idea what you are talking about Pansy dear." With that Hermione pushed past the insufferable girl and hoped with all her hope Pansy would let her go to sleep and just drop it all. And it seemed she had gotten her wish, she was washed and in her bead, head already on the pillow and her heavy eyes were closing slowly when Pansy whispered a warning Hermione had not expected, at least not from this girl.  
  
"You shouldn't play this game with him, he'll only hurt you." With that she switched off the battery-operated light and turned away from Hermione, sniffing back tears. 'Great' Hermione thought 'not I'm wide awake' she leaned over and turned the light back on.  
  
"Pansy, do you want to talk about it?" she didn't expect the other girl to feel like telling Hermione anything, seeing as though she was just another 'mudblood', but she felt it was her duty as head girl and a girl period, that she should try to comfort her. And to her surprise Pansy was sitting up and whipping away the tears that she couldn't hold back as she had tried. When she spoke she had lot the venom and the cruel holier then thou tone she once held for Hermione, instead she was hysterical, sobbing uncontrollably.  
  
"Its just that I see how he looks at you and I know how he hates me now and how much he wants me to die and I know that he will never be with me again and I cant help but feel like this and I want him to just die for how he has made me feel and for discarding me like that why does he have to like you of all people!" she said all this very quickly in one very long run-on sentence and then she collapsed against Hermione and cried like a little girl. Hermione was shocked that Pansy has had such an outburst and awkwardly rubbed her back. Obviously Pansy was just over reacting, Malfoy didn't have feelings for her, he was just honouring their deal to be civil. Wasn't he?  
  
"It's ok Pansy," Hermione reassured her pathetically, "I'm sure it's all in your head. I'm going to go get Blaise and she'll stay with you tonight ok? Ok." She peeled the still sobbing Pansy off of her and put her robe over her dressing gown and left her tent cursing her luck, she wasn't going to get much sleep with Pansy in hysterics and then Blaise was going to be there to boot. She made her way to the tree where the tent arrangements had been posted and searched for Blaise's tent, then made her way to tent number 10. She was glade to see that Blaise wasn't asleep yet and was fine with going to her tent to console Pansy; she actually seemed used to it. Pansy must have had fits like this while at Hogwarts.  
  
Without a place to sleep Hermione made her way to where the teacher's picnic table had been set up, Snape was sitting at it reading and Hermione wasn't sure if she should bother him, but Pansy was in his house and should know of the mishap. Before she could say anything he looked up and spoke.  
  
"Ah, Miss Granger, I'm sure you had a pleasant trail. No trouble." When Hermione shook her head he pointed to the bench in front of him and nodded for her to explain. After she was finished telling him about the wolf and Draco running off he nodded once more. " Well I shall speak with Professor Cassar about putting a protection charm on the next night trail, and I'm sure we will be seeing your horse soon, the area is surrounded by fences I assure you."  
  
"Thank you professor," Hermione said starting to stand when she remembered Pansy and sat back again. "Oh and Professor, Pansy was upset and started to cry, but I got Blaise to take care of her so everything is fine, I just thought you would like to know."  
  
"Well, yes, thank you Miss Granger, did this happen in your tent?" Hermione nodded. He seemed to look her up and down, sitting there in her robe and dressing gown; he took in her tired eyes and her slumped shoulders. " Are you alright Miss Granger?" He asked in a concerned tone, one not very often heard from him towards a Gryffindor. Hermione pondered this question, she was tired getting up early and going to sleep late, she didn't even feel up to have this conversation. Just talking was making her feel dizzy and lightheaded, she was regretting leaving her tent and she was feeling sick.  
  
She went to answer him but he continued. " I think you need to get some sleep Miss Granger. Under the circumstances I should think you could sleep in Blaise's tent with MacDougal I will inform Blaise of this arrangement so if there is nothing else I advice you to go now and get a good amount of sleep understand me Miss Granger?"  
  
"Yes sir thank you sir." Hermione said gratefully and stood, rather too quickly and had to grab the edge of the table to steady herself. Snape looked ready to say soothing when he was cut off by a familiar voice.  
  
"Sir, Professor Cassar sent me to-hey aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" Hermione turned around to face Draco Malfoy as he approached the table to speak to Snape. He had, of course said the last bit to Hermione, who was about to reply that there had been a delay with Pansy, when she felt her knees give way and she fell forward, her body suddenly heavy. The last thing she remembered before her eyes hazed and everything turned to black was Malfoy coming forward and catching her before she hit the floor. For the second time that trip she had fainted, and it was the third time that trip she had ended up in Malfoy's arms.  
  
*(I was thinking of stopping here but I'm a nice person and I know this is kind of short)*  
  
Hermione was awoken by the fierce smell of ammonia. Her eyes snapped open she couldn't see past the tears in her eye and dashed them away above her there were a number of people, Pansy, Blaise, Harry, Ron, Malfoy and Snape. All of them were crowded around her bed she realized she was back in her tent and under her covers. Pansy was gripping a small vile in her hands and Hermione realized that she must have used smelling salts to wake her up. She groaned and pulled the covers up over her head.  
  
"Why didn't you just let me sleep?" She asked through her covers, the layers muffling her voice and then the yawn that followed it. She could still feel the traces of sleep in her groggy mind and she wished she were still there asleep in her mind. Someone pulled the covers down and Hermione opened her eyes again.  
  
"Miss Granger we will let you sleep once we make sure you are feeling ok." Snape said taking out his wand and taking Hermione's hand, palm up. He placed the tip of his wand in the middle of her hand. "This wont hurt Miss Granger it will just decide why you fainted." Hermione nodded and he whispered a spell. When he took his wand away a small clear sphere rose suddenly from her palm and hovered just over it as it turned slowly. As Hermione watched it turned a pale blue with red likes swirling around the top of it. She looked to see the reaction of the people around her, Harry had a blank look on his face, and he was as lost as she was, but the others had slightly relieved looks on their faces, even Malfoy, Pansy and Blaise.  
  
"Just a small head cold Miss Granger. See me in the morning and I will give you some potion, for now here is some sleeping potion, everyone clear out and let her sleep." He produced a vile from his jacket pocket and took the stopper off. Hermione gulped it back and she felt as the cool liquid spilt down her throat. She handed the vile back to Snape and settled back into her pillow, already feeling ready for some more sleep. Everyone left except Pansy who sat down next to Hermione and started to talk as soon as they were alone.  
  
"Thank you Gran-Hermione," she said patting her hand. "Blaise talked some sense into me, and I know she is right. Malfoy wasn't that close to me anyways, and you should have seen the look of worry on his face when he carried you in here, it was like nothing else. Man he has fallen hard for you. Don't you see it?" Hermione fought to keep her eyes open long enough to reply to Pansy's excited banter.  
  
"No Pansy, *yawn* you must be the only one." And then she was asleep, back with her dreams where Draco stared as the hero and Hermione as the princesses in distress.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Adnam* Thank you for your review, I love getting reviews but it doesn't see like I get many eh? Well I think the main reason the trip takes place in Ontario is because I am familiar with the places and I have been to the places I speak of so I can give a more detailed description. But I'll keep your request in mind. So anyways thanks again for reviewing.  
  
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, and even if you didn't I would like you to review saying you liked it anyway. J/K anyway R/R. ( (  
  
I know this is another of my short chapters but I'm grounded so I only get so much time on the computer, I will try to get as much writing done as I can while I'm in my cell, um I mean my room. It's ok soon I'll be back at school and will have plenty of time to write during class and what not. 


	6. Chapter 5 Early Morning Strolls

Hermione took a breath and found her nose was quite stuffed, and a light was in her eye. Her eyes fluttered open and she squinted against the bright light. Pansy was gone from her bed and she had left the opaque flap to the tent door open a sliver, just enough to lay a bright beam across Hermione's face. It must have been late to have the light that bright, and Hermione reckoned that she must have slept well past lunch. Turning over, she tried to block out the light with her pillow over her head. Which worked, until the restricted breathing room became suffocating and she threw the pillow away. Awake, Hermione decided to get up out of bed and make up for missing the morning work, she was sure that they more then managed with out her help but she felt bad about Draco running off the night before and she was hoping to work harder to show that she was responsible for her own actions.  
  
She heaved herself out of bed and shut the flap to the tent, she pulled a pair of jeans and a t-shirt out of her bag, from under her bed and decided to just use a charm to wash up, if they hadn't traced any of the spells used by Malfoy's wand then she was sure a small charm would make no difference. After having performed the simple charm, she dressed the Muggle way and pulled on her running shoes, she was sure that she wasn't going to be riding so she left her riding boots where they were, on the floor. She tied sweater around her waist and stepped out of the dim light of the tent and into the bright afternoon sun. The sun was a crisp robin egg blue and not a cloud was visible for miles and a flock of birds where flying past where the only thing that pierced the pristine site. The air was crisp, the first sign that Fall was fast approaching. Pulling the sweater off her waist and over her head, she started towards the lesson arena, if it was after lunch as she expected, the lessons were going on down behind the tack room, where a valley dipped down to a large arena, where the lessons where held each day, the dirt that made up the arena was turned up each day after lessons, keeping it soft, or as soft as the floor could be, in case a rider fell from their horse they would land in the soft soil and leave with only a bruise. That is if they knew how to fall off a horse. Hermione recalled her very first riding lesson clearly, she was the very youngest of her class and the only one who didn't own her own horse, all the other girls and boys were more experienced then she was and they were sure to tell her. The first lesson the very ancient riding coach taught them was how to fall. You'd think that they would teach you how to stay on the horse first, but this coach said it was more important to fall off properly so that's what they learned, and it was the shortest lessons she ever had there was no demonstration, all the coach said was go with it. Let yourself fall. If you were to brace yourself you are more likely to break something.  
  
When she had reached to top of the hill leading down into the valley she stopped to catch her breath, the fact that she couldn't breath through her nose made it hard to get enough oxygen, and her head had started to throb from all the pressure on her temples. She was glad that the hill leading down was much less steep and had a beaten path, free of tree roots and other very dangerous things to trip over, which she had suffered many time while chasing Chyan after her escape attempts. She was about to start down when a flash of red hair caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She turned just in time to see Ron pulling Harry into a group of trees. They didn't seem to have seen her so she walked the small distance and was about to ask what was going on, when she heard her name, so instead she crouched down to listen. She soon realized that they were fighting, Ron his usual demanding self and Harry his usual patient self. In the end she wished she hadn't listened in.  
  
"What is up with you Harry? Why are you siding with Malfoy? I thought I was your best friend." Ron demanded, his angry words triggering her memory to when she had walked into Harry's tent to find him and Malfoy laughing cheerfully, and warmly with each other.  
  
"It's not that I'm siding with him, its just, well, I know where he is coming from." Harry responded callously. Hermione remembered Harry's lack resistance to Malfoy and how close Hermione was to him in the previous days. He had been distant in conversations regarding Malfoy, not very Harry like. Ron cut through her thoughts.  
  
"Well if you feel like that for her, then why did you let him say what he did at dinner yesterday? Why did you just sit there holding me back when you should have been furious? You are not being yourself Harry, and I don't like who you are becoming." If Hermione weren't hiding she would have hit Ron upside the head for that. He was being the disagreeable one, and he couldn't see it, it made her blood boil. Harry's response shocked her. Not only because he was calm but because of his words.  
  
"Why would I beat up on him for being honest? You asked him if he liked her, in fact you asked, if I may quote," uh oh Harry was getting sarcastic, run for the hills. "'What Malfoy, all of a sudden you love Hermione?' What did you expect him to say?" Harry's tone turned vicious as he continued. "He was being serious, we spoke about it after we went to be last night. He finds it funny that the same thing can be going on in our heads, but he said he doesn't want to fight over her, he says the best way to go about this is to be honourable of Hermione's feelings and to act as if there is nothing different, and it doesn't help if you have babbling on and on about it when the plan is to act cool!"  
  
"Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god!" those three words where the only one's that came to mind when Hermione turned and retreated for her hiding place, and she kept on repeating it in her mind as she sprinted the rest of the way down the hill and to the lesson arena, her stuffed nose forgotten. She almost said the tree words to Snape before she caught herself and asked for the potion he had promised her the night before. She gulped it down and handed the vile back to him, instantly her nose cleared and the headache receded to a slight tingly feeling and then too, disappeared. The teacher regarded her with an odd look before speaking to her sternly.  
  
"I was hoping you would sleep longer Miss Granger, but the potion I gave you is designed to keep the drinker asleep for the required time for them to be refreshed, so I have no doubts that you feel one hundred percent better, correct?" Hermione smiled at her professor, who seemed to have lightened up in the last few days, and who had also seemed to take a liking to her. He spoke to her as if he was genuinely concerned about her, and she knew he was sincere.  
  
"Yes professor, now that my cold is gone I feel I can do anything, thank you Sir. I was actually wondering if my horse has shown up so I can train." The look on his face told her that Draco hadn't been found, or hadn't found his way back home. Before he could respond verbally a hand grasped her elbow and she was being turned around.  
  
"Mr Malfoy is there a problem?" Snape said from behind Hermione, who had done a 180 and was now staring at Draco Malfoy's grey eyes, it took a second to adjust to the fact that he was so close, and the fact that she knew how he felt and how his hand was warm even through her sweater. But after that second she realized there was a look of panic in his eyes. Snape's question went unanswered as Hermione was being tugged back toward the hill she had just sprinted down. She turned to the professor who returned her look of confusion with one of his own. Although, as she felt his hand slip from her elbow and drop to her hand, her thoughts and head whipped back to Malfoy and the serge of energy that she suddenly had pulsing through her. As they started up the hill Hermione saw Harry and Ron as they stopped their journey back down the hill to watch the scene in front of them. Hermione, and Malfoy quickly going up the hill (A/N: I think I used the word Hill too much!) hand in hand. She only had a second to glimpse them as Harry pulled Ron in the other direction and out of her viewpoint. The look on Harry's face made her snap out of her silence.  
  
"Hey, what's going on? Why such the hurry?" He didn't stop to answer her question; instead he quickened the pace into a fast jog and answered hurriedly.  
  
" They found Draco, he showed up on a farm a few miles out. They say he must have jumped the fence at a low spot." Hermione had a feeling that this wasn't why they were almost running, something else was wrong, and as he continues to tell her, his hand tightened on hers. "He has a cut, on his hock (the lower part of a horse's leg) its deep, and the farmer who found it said he was favouring that leg. It may only need stitches but Daniela says he might have torn a ligament, and you know what they need to do if that's the case. They are calling to vet to get him stitched up, or," He paused, stopped and turned all at once causing Hermione to skid to a halt, he still had her hand in his and he looked her in the eye with hurt, and continued, his voice low. "Or to put Draco to sleep." Hermione knew that was the alternative and she had no idea she was attached to the horse the had known for less then a week, until she couldn't stop the tears that flowed down from her eyes and over her cheeks, flushed from running. And she couldn't help but cling to Draco as he pulled her to him and encircled his arms tightly around her, her face buried against his shoulder, and his mouth at her ear whispering soothing words that were lost in her weeping. Until he said the obvious, without knowing it himself.  
  
"We should be able to do something, that's what 7 years of school if for right." He said the words hoping to calm her down, which they did, but he hadn't meant them to spark Hermione into a frantic search of his pockets, in fact that was the last thing he had expected. But that's what happened, and he was at a loss for words, but being Draco Malfoy himself, that didn't last long.  
  
"Hermione I know I'm irresistible but can you wait until later, I thought you would have liked to see your horse in his hour of need." She stopped her search rather expectantly and removed her hand from its place above his left back pocket. Instead of shying away like he expected she looked at him straight in the eye and asked for his wand.  
  
"Give me your wand." Okay, so she demanded his wand, and to both of their surprise he pulled his wand out of his right boot. But he hesitated in giving it to her.  
  
"Hermione you know if you're caught using magic, you can get into serious trouble and there are more then just a few Muggles around, the farmer is still here and Daniela, and then there are those kids that are helping out with the trail today and wont they think it is weird that the horse all of a sudden doesn't have a cut?" Hermione then grabbed his wand and his hand and preformed a spell under her breath. Hermione looked around her to see if her spell had worked, and smiled to herself. It had worked splendidly. Everything around her, from the murder of crows to butterfly that had been fluttering by, had stopped. Her freezing spell had worked. And if she hadn't held onto Draco Malfoy's hand he too would be frozen. She turned to him smiling and started to pull him to where he was leading her moments before. He gave her a look of shock and allowed himself to be pulled along.  
  
"I wont heal the cut I'll just check for and fix any torn ligaments. No one will be the wiser and it will save poor Draco. You won't say anything will you Draco? Please we can't just let him be put down." She didn't know what had made her act as if she was at his mercy, if she wanted she could let go of his and hand and perform a charm to wipe his memory clear of this event, but she did. And then she waited for his answer as if she depended on his agreeing with her.  
  
"Of course, we could never let them do that, but we have to get back to where we were before the spell, someone might have seen us and they would find it odd if we suddenly disappeared." She understood just then that he did like her, even if he hadn't come out and said it to her; his answer confirmed what Harry had said. Never before had she heard him speak to her with the tone he had just used, he had sounded concerned but also he had sounded devoted to her words as if they were carried down from the heavens on a golden platter by a group of angles.  
  
They reached the tack room and they awkwardly climbed over the fence, still holding hands, and walked to the entrance where Draco the horse, was standing under the roof that jetted out of the tack room, usually horses were not allowed that close to the tack room and the feed, but Hermione suspected that Daniela had felt sympathetic towards the poor horse and besides, Chanda wasn't around to get mad. Hermione looked down to the horse's leg and instantly saw the cut, and grimaced. It looked horrible, and it most defiantly was deep enough to have done damage to the horse's mussels. Hermione almost let go of Malfoy's hand as she rushed to the horse's side.  
  
"We have to work quickly," she said pulling Draco to sit on the ground next to her, so she could comfortably work on the cut, even if she could only use one of her hands. " It takes a lot of my energy to keep the freezing spell going it's not anything I can't handle but I don't want to take chances." She lifted Draco's wand to the cut and whispered the incantation, she had learned this spell from the infirmary, where she had spent more then a few nights waiting for Harry and Ron to come around after an adventure. This one had caught her attention and she read up on it, and she was glad she had.  
  
As soon as the words left her lips the wand gave a shudder and a red smoke engulfed the horse, Hermione watched the cut intently and waited, if the ligament was torn the smoke above the cut would glow gold and last longer then the red smoke. As she expected the smoke turned the olive gold colour and then disappeared again, as if it were evaporated into the air around them.  
  
"So it is a torn ligament," she said more to herself then to the silent boy beside her. But he responded anyway, though she could hardly hear him. The rush of the two spells she had just preformed was making her light headed, they were both powerful and complicated spells and drained a lot of energy out of a witch or wizard.  
  
"So then get on with the spell, you don't look so good." She took up the wand again and urged her mind to remember the spell that followed the checking spell. When it came to her she was growing tired quickly and uttered the spell before she could forget it in her sudden fatigue. Content how the spell went, she turned to Draco and whispered through the pain.  
  
"Help me up, we have to get to the hill before I can no longer hold the spell. If someone sees then we are shit out of luck." He nodded and pulled her to her feet, he took the long way around the fence instead of over it and they quickly ran to where they could remember standing on the hill. Unless someone was intently watching them then they would not be able to tell they had moved a muscle. When Hermione undid the spell, she could feel surges of energy passing through her, and she fought the urge to cry out in the pain it caused her.  
  
"Are you ok?" Draco asked, but only received a weak nod. "Well we should go to pretend to be concerned to the horse now, I said I was going to get you and they would think it was kind of odd if I didn't return with you." He grabbed her hand again and they made the trip to the tack room again. And Hermione couldn't help but smile to herself on how well an actor Draco Malfoy could be.  
  
~*~  
  
At 1:00am, twelve hours after the vet had arrived and had stitched up poor Draco, Hermione lay awake staring at the blue slanted roof of her and Pansy's tent. She couldn't fall asleep, she had tried a countless number of times to force herself to sleep but she couldn't. Between Pansy's semi- silent snores, and the soft rustling or the trees, sounds that would have normally lulled her to sleep, kept her up and restless.  
  
Finally after hours of tossing and turning Hermione decided to go for a walk, hoping it would help get her tired. She pulled on her jeans and her Weasley jumper, that ad the letters HG stitched in gold letters across the front, and then grabbed her wand from her bag where it had been safely tucked away, and left her tent as quietly as possible as to not wake Pansy. The temperature had dropped a great amount since she had turned in for the night, and she shivered as she zipped the tent flap back into place. She decided against a stroll in the woods at the fresh memory of her wolf encounter, so instead she headed out towards where the horses had been turned out last night to graze in the large field that separated the training arena and the entrance to the web of trails. The horses were friendly and enjoyed the company of a person with treats. So on her way to the field, she grabbed handfuls of oats and stuffed her pockets full.  
  
When she had reached the field she was surprised to see someone was already there. His back was turned to her and he was sitting against a tree stump. If it hadn't been for the silvery wisps of hair that were visible, Hermione would have turned and left to find another place to walk, leaving this person to his solitude. But once she recognized him as Draco Malfoy she continued forward, and called his name.  
  
Startled by the sudden break of stillness, he turned around quickly and presented his wand, but that was quickly dropped when he had seen it was her, and began to get up from his spot to greet her.  
  
"Hermione," he said, brushing the dirt from his pants, which Hermione couldn't help but notice looked sexy on him. This thought brought a rose tinge to her cheeks and she looked away embarrassed of her own thoughts. "What are you doing up?" he sounded uneasy and he cast a look around, taking in the horses and trees around them.  
  
"I couldn't sleep. So I thought a walk might have helped." Hermione looked at him, remembering what she had heard from Ron and Harry. Then remembering the not so distant past, where the boy who now claimed to like her had taunted her and had sent her crying many times without batting and eye. And now, as she looked at him, she couldn't help but ask him why.  
  
"I want to ask you something," she made sure her tone showed that she wasn't going to ask him about his opinion on the weather. He didn't seem to be def because his almost content look dropped from his face and was replaced by one of worry. "Why, after all these years, after everything, why have you suddenly done a 360 and started acting like I was human and not a mudblood?"  
  
As if he had been half expecting the question his face changed and then he turned red, not an angry red though, Draco Malfoy, cool, calm and collected Draco Malfoy was blushing scarlet. She couldn't see how her question could make blush creep across his cheeks, but there it was, vivid against his pale skin. Whatever answer she had been expecting wasn't the one he gave her either. His answer made Harry and Ron's chat seem vague and nonchalant. His answer wasn't even a long one, and she was at a loss for words. His answer almost made her sit down right where she was.  
  
"Because I realized how wrong I was Hermione, and I realized how much I loved you." Two things she had never thought she would hear coming from Draco Malfoy, one was him admitting he had been wrong, and two was that he loved her, not only liked but loved her. And he was as serious as anyone Hermione had ever met; he was looking at her intently, waiting for a response maybe.  
  
But her loss for words stuck, and when she finally decided what to say back to him, she was shocked that instead of speaking her response to him, she had moved in and was kissing him. Her hands reached up to cup his face in her hands, and then to entangle his hair, as silky as she had ever imagined it. She felt herself die and go to heaven as he kissed her back, thirstily. Who ever said actions speak louder then words really had something, because Hermione was sure nothing she could say would have left her feeling like this.  
  
Draco's arms came up to wrap around her body, pulling her even closer to him, as if he loosened her from his embrace, everything would slip away and become unreal, a figment of his imagination. He crushed her against his hard chest and at the same time held her as if she were as slight as china. Whatever thoughts were going through her mind were hazed over by how right it felt to be there in his arms and to be kissing him with the same intensity and hunger that he was kissing her with.  
  
When they stopped kissing, it was only for a breath, and their embrace didn't loosen. Draco rested his head against hers so she could feel his warm breath coming out in short shudders against her cheek. When he spoke his voice was hoarse and husky, it sent Goosebumps across her neck and she shuddered against him.  
  
"You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that, Hermione," he whispered her name like it was precious silk slipping gently from his tongue and onto his lips. He pulled his head back to look her in the eyes, and she shivered again as she saw the passion behind the milky silver eyes that stared at her, although she was anything but cold. " I think I've loved you always, but my father has had his hold over me. I broke free Hermione, in our fifth year, and I realized that the intensity I felt for you wasn't hate but love. But I was afraid, I was afraid I would never be able to prove my love. I love you Hermione Granger." He kissed her again, and she knew she felt something deep for him. If it wasn't love then love wasn't far off. 


	7. Chapter 6 Love’s little meanings

Ok I know that the last chapter was a short one so I made this one a bit longer, sorry it took so long but I've actually had it on paper for a while and I was just trying to add as much as I could without making it sound stupid, I have to say it gets fluffy from now on, but I think that was the point from the beginning. Anyway I'll start on the next chapter soon, after a bit of a break.  
  
The price of education  
  
Chapter 7 Love's little meanings  
  
Hermione's fingers tingles with excitement as she laced her boots. As Headboy and Headgirl, Hermione and Draco had talked the professors into allowing the students to go to a party hosted by a neighbouring farm. Daniela had mentioned it to them one day while she helped them round up the horses. Luckily it wasn't formal; it was a real cowboy, cowgirl square dance, where everyone wore his or her jeans and boots. Pansy, who was sitting across from Hermione in their small tent, hadn't liked the fact that she couldn't dress up. She must have been the only one of the girls to bring a dress on their ranch trip.  
  
"Honestly," she had said when Hermione had told her about the dance. "Why would anyone leave home without an emergency dress?" Hermione had just shrugged and laughed at the disbelieving look on the other girl's face.  
  
She finally stood and looked at herself in Pansy's full length mirror- Hermione didn't comment to pansy about using magic because she didn't want to start a fight between them- and brushed her fingers over the rhinestones on her jacket. It was a black velvet jacket that matched her black velvet pants and her black suede studded boots. She had pulled out her old and very dear black leather cowboy hat, and it was placed on her head. Because of the hat she couldn't have her hair up in a ponytail so she pleated it into two braided pigtails hanging just above her shoulders. Earrings of horses and her large champion buckle were last touches to her outfit.  
  
"Well I'm ready. Are you coming Pansy?" she turned to the girl who had borrowed some clothes from Daniela and was dresses like a real Canadian cowgirl, down to the shiny spurs on her boots and bronze buckle. Pansy stood and smiled at Hermione, she had changed a lot in the last few days, they were on great terms now and Hermione could tell she was trying hard to be nice and not make any rude comments.  
  
"Lets go knock 'em dead." Pansy giggled as she hooked arms with Hermione and they left the tent giggling together about how they thought the guys would look. Hermione had confided in Pansy about her liking Draco, but had left out the fact that the feelings were returned, because she really couldn't tell how Pansy felt about Draco. But now Hermione didn't know if she should hold back with Pansy, who was the only girl there that knew about the feelings she had, and the only girl there who thought Draco might like her back. All the Gryffindor girls had never really treated her like one of the girls, but more like a brain that could help them out with their homework.  
  
At the thought of Draco she searched the crowed of students wondering about waiting for everyone to finish getting ready, and found his silvery hair. He was talking with Chanda, and it looked like he was getting instructions. Hermione told Pansy she had to go see if anyone needed her help and she made her way to where Draco was standing with Chanda on the other side of the fence.  
  
As she got closer to them she could see what Draco was wearing. His outfit was very sexy to say the least; he was wearing a very tight pair of blue jeans that were so dark they almost looked black; he wore a black oxford shirt that stretched tight across his broad shoulders. His boots were like hers. Black and clean, obviously not used while working, and his cowboy hat was tipped slightly to one side.  
  
When she got to standing just behind him she put her hands on his shoulder, his wide shoulder dwarfing her small hand. He turned to see who it was and his handsome face broke into a brilliant smile. She used his shoulder to help her climb over the fence, but she didn't truly need the help. She just liked to touch him, feel his warmth and fell him, solid and strong.  
  
"Hey Chanda, is everything set?" Hermione asked once she was standing next to Draco. They were going to ride out to the farm, which was only a couple miles away, camp there for the night and ride back in the morning. They wanted to keep to the daylight, to keep everyone as safe as possible.  
  
"Almost," Chanda said, starting to walk towards the nearest horse and tighten its tack. "We just need to check the tack and round everyone up. Do you think you two could do the tack as I get your classmates to get to their horses?" they nodded to her; some people weren't looking forward to the long trail and they didn't feel like having to talk anyone into either hurrying up or losing house points.  
  
"Sure thing." Draco said moving to the next horse. Chanda nodded back and turned to jump over the fence and started to yell last call to the direction of the tents.  
  
"Anyone not ready in the next five seconds will be left behind!" Hermione laughed and moved to the next horse that needed to be checked. But before she could tighten any of the tack. She felt strong arms wrap around her and pull her against their owner's chest. She spun around and kissed Draco deeply. They had been doing this secretly for the past two days, and Hermione felt as if they hadn't kissed for weeks instead of just hours, each time. He broke the kiss and pulled away, hearing people coming towards the horses. They had decided to wait to tell everyone else, she had discussed how awkward she would feel around Harry while with him if they made their relationship, what ever it was, public. Harry was her friend and she didn't want to hurt him. She smiled up at Draco now and then laughed, he had shiny lip chap all on his mouth. She whipped it away with her hand then quickly turned back to the horse she was supposed to be checking.  
  
"All right," she heard Chanda say from the other side of the horse. "Remember to check your tack as usual and mount." Hermione quickly moved next to Magenta, a beautiful chestnut mare that was temporarily replacing Draco as he recovered, and Draco followed to Zantar who was right next to her. They checked their tack and in one fluent motion they were both on their horses and they moved to where Chanda was on their mount Honey. They were going to be following the trail as Chanda led it and that meant they had to wait for the whole trail before going themselves.  
  
"All right, now everyone, lets get going, we have a nice trail ahead of us. I hope everyone has what they need!" Chanda clicked her tongue and moved forward on her horse. Cassar and Snape somewhere along the middle and then finally Draco and Hermione bring up the rear.  
  
The trail didn't see to take long for Hermione who chatted to Draco the whole time, they had only two small pit stops and nothing happened out of the ordinary. It was dusk as they arrived at the farm. Large bon fires had been lit all around the entrance to the farm and many smaller ones surrounded the tarp that covered the refreshment bar. The actual party was being held in the very large barn where many colour flags had been set up and where large speakers seemed very out of place. The dancing area had been swept of hay and the Christmas lights lit up the whole place, a display of flashing lights.  
  
After they had all tied up, un-tacked and watered their horses, the students broke off into groups or to mingle with the other local teenagers there. There was dancing laughing and friendly playing. The DJ was another local kid who had not only the newest in country music but also a lot of classic country square dancing music.  
  
The local kids had a great time trying to teach Hogwarts' finest the different steps, and Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the rather pitiful scene. She knew the steps to many of the dances and it was funny to see her friends messing around on the dance floor with the Muggles.  
  
Hermione was maybe more surprised as anyone when Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the crowd of dancing locals and they started to join in with the dance, it seemed they both knew the dance and the local kids cheered them on as the beat to the music picked up and the dance became faster and faster, eventually everyone ended up messing up and laughing hysterically. The song changed into a slow one by Faith Hill, and Hermione looked up at Draco, he smirked down at her and pulled her to him, they danced closely and Hermione could remember the name of the song, it was Breathe. She could feel herself getting lost in Draco's eyes, they had always been so dark and cold but now they were warm and loving, they were soft and caring.  
  
I can feel the magic floating in the air Being with you gets me that way I watch the sunlight dance across your face And I've never been this swept away  
  
Hermione placed her head against his chest, forgetting, or just not caring that they were in a room of their friends and classmates. Draco's arms tightened around her and she drank in his scent, he smelt like smoke and oranges, the spicy smell mixing with the citric one. She could stay like this forever, living off his scent and in his strong arms.  
  
The song ended and another one started, faster, more upbeat, Hermione started to pull away from their tight embrace, looking up at Draco who looked back at her then around the room, tensing slightly. Hermione looked past the dancing locals to where she could see some of her classmates staring at them, still standing in each other's arms. Then Hermione saw Harry, remembering what she heard three days earlier between him and Ron. She had been avoiding this since that night kissing Draco in the field.  
  
But now she couldn't ignore the look on his face, it was one she had never see on his face, he looked hurt and lost as if he was a three-year old left to find his way home from a packed train station. She looked back at Draco for help, and he nodded understanding maybe, and with a slight squeeze he unfolded his arms from around her, leaving traces of cool places over her back, and she led them back to Harry and Ron, who were looking at them in horror, or at least Ron was.  
  
"What Weasley? Never see anyone dance before?" Another slow dance started and couples paired up again, some closer then others, Hermione noticed a lot of girls looking at their partners resentfully as they were held at near arms length.  
  
Ron sputtered at Draco and turned to the silent Harry for support, Harry just shrugged and moved out towards the barn doors and out into the fresh air by the refreshment bar. Hermione watched him go seeing the trees ahead of him swaying in the wind, realizing how warm it was in the barn with all the students and locals dancing and talking. When Ron answered his voice shook with rage.  
  
"Well I think there is a difference between dancing and groping." Hermione snapped her attention from the heat back on her friend, who seemed to be getting on her nerves more and more easily now a day.  
  
"I'll have you know Ronald, that there was no groping involved, although I'm sure you wouldn't know the difference if it were actually groping, but it was just dancing. Keep your nose out of it and you should know that anything you say has no effect on what I do and don't do." She turned and started towards the other end of the dancing area, but she stopped dead when she heard Ron's response.  
  
"And what about Harry?" Hermione caught Draco's eye as she turned to look at Ron, he seemed to want this answer too. Harry was her friend, like a brother to her; she couldn't feel for him what he felt for her.  
  
"Well of course the same goes for Harry." She turned back to a relieved looking Draco and grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the confused Ron. "Come on Draco, lets stand by the doors its too hot by the dancing."  
  
But when they got to the doors they kept going. Out into the night and to where the horses had been let out to graze and sat on the fence looking as the large shadows moved in the near darkness. The breeze cooled Hermione's flushed cheeks and swayed the hairs on the back of her neck, causing her to shiver. Draco pulled a blade of grass between his fingers, looking as if he were thinking intently.  
  
"What am I to you Draco?" Hermione asked suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence, surprising Draco and herself. He dropped the blade of grass and put his arm around her, holding her close. She leaned into his shoulder and rested her head there.  
  
"You know, I was going to ask about the same thing, and I was hoping to get an answer a long the lines of you being my girlfriend." He smirked and laced his fingers in hers, hugging her closer to him.  
  
"So you wouldn't be ashamed for everyone to know your dating a mudblood?" she asked, he grimaced looking to the sky as if drawing on strength from the leagues of stars. He looked back at her and she looked in his eyes, he looked as if he were desperate.  
  
"Don't say that Hermione, I hate that word more then I hate myself for ever calling you that. I only wish you could forgive me for it." He shook his head at himself and sighed. "An I would never be ashamed of being with you. I would shout it out from the roof tops if you didn't worry so much about Harry finding out." He kissed her lightly on the forehead and she hugged him tight. After this, after what he had just said, she knew how she felt and how she wanted to feel. She took a deep breath and whispered to his ear.  
  
"I want you to shout it Draco, I want you to tell the world." She pulled back and looked up at him, into his searching eyes, into eyes that softened for her. Those eyes lit up as a smile spread across his lips, turning his serious expression into a joyful one. She returned his smile and he kissed her smiling lips, and she slipped her arms around his neck. He held her around the waist, rubbing her back with the tips of his fingers. She shifted her weight forward a bit, and they suddenly felt the plunge of vertigo as they fell off the fence and ended up in a heap on the ground laughing hysterically, Hermione on top of Draco, legs twined and hates thrown off in different directions.  
  
"I love you Draco." Hermione let the words slip from her lips without realizing how important they were, but at the once she knew what she said was true. Draco had made her love him more and more the last few days, telling her about himself, the real Draco, the emotionally scared child Draco. She had been able to open up to his as well, speaking about her past and what she hoped for the future, her secrets where his now.  
  
"Hermione, I love you too." She kissed him, realizing her lips were trembling from anticipation of his. They kissed and then held each other while the music from the dance played in the background, Hermione could hear the music being switched off and suddenly a voice boomed into the silence. Hermione strained to hear the voice past the static of the microphone.  
  
"Good evening everyone!" the male voice said joyfully, " tonight we have a very special treat, a band that will surely one day be famous, will be performing here for a good deal of the night, then Jimmy our wonderful DJ will resume his playing. So now I would like to announce to you the arrival of the Strawberries!" a loud round of applause followed and then the band started to play. Draco started to sit up when the band stuck up a loud song and began to dust himself off.  
  
"Lets go see what the fuss is." Hermione gave him a look, the Strawberries sounded like a girl band. But the agreed to go with him.  
  
"Alright, but I have an idea that its just a bunch of girls in tight clothes, and that probably what the fuss is." He laughed and kissed her before pulling her to her feet, then he gave her that famous smirk, how she dreaded that look.  
  
What," he said slyly "Are you afraid I'll run off with one of them?" Just as the words left his mouth a male singer joined into the music, his voice filling the air around them before there was a loud chorus of cheers heard from the female population of the dance. Draco's smirk fell from his face and this time it was Hermione's turn to laugh.  
  
"Are you?" she asked back and then laughed again as he grabbed at her and caught only air as she playfully ran back towards the barn. She looked back to see him sprinting up to her and when he caught up he engulfed her and they again fell to the ground laughing when they recovered Hermione was in need of water. Once they were finished at the refreshment bar they returned to the barn and Hermione could see she had been right about the girls in the band. There were three girls, a tall blond with a white-pink flower patterned dress that hung low beneath her neck and hovered high above her knees, she help a guitar. The second was a short red head in an off the shoulder crop top and tight jeans that every curve and every bone that stuck out from her slim frame, she help only a microphone. The third was another short girl but she had very high shoes on that made her appear tall. Her skirt was short and her tight tank top was barley there, she had one of those model's faces and straight dirty blond hair that came down to her shoulders in one flat layer, she sat at a set of drums.  
  
And then there was the only male in the band, tall slim but with wide shoulders, his hair shaggy and a dark black, his skin tanned and his clothes tight. His impressive voice filling the barn as the girls played and the red head sand along. Hermione could see that a bunch of girls had left their dates and were pressed closely to the small rise that was the stage. She looked up at Draco to see him looking back at her, grim look in place on his face, she almost laughed.  
  
"Nothing special here I don't think." She said and then did laugh at the look of relief that adorned his face. She pulled him towards the dance floor and they danced to the fast paced song. Hermione coaching Draco bit by bit, this music greatly different then the country music, it was more punk rock, more like what she listened to at home during the summers. Soon the rest of the students and locals were dancing and just having a good time. After the band had played a round of loud music, the beat slowed and the short red head took over in a solo, singing a mournful love song. Her voice sent Goosebumps up Hermione's arms; the only other sound was the soft song of the guitar in the background. Draco pulled Hermione into a hug of an embrace and they danced to the music.  
  
'To love you is something I've tried hard not to do. But how can you Think of remaining as two, When we could be one, One body one soul, one earth Breaking love. How can we not live life, And love like the angels above, I've tried hard, believe me, To halt these feelings, But in that process I Learned love's little meanings.'  
  
The girl lifted her voice and held the last note for a long time, then the drummer joined in and the song became fast and all the slowly dancing couples broke apart and started to dance to the song's new beat.  
  
"When you said you'd rather die Did you know it would Cause me to cry? When you walked away From me Did you know how hurt I Would be? When you laughed with your Friends Did you know I still loved you, To no ends? When you scoffed in my direction Did you know my devastation? When you reached for her Embrace Did you know my heart Doubled its pace?'  
  
As the singer bellowed that last line the drummer and guitar players stopped their instruments, and the crowed started to cheer but the singer continued over them, her voice soft once again.  
  
'When I asked you if you Could love me Did you know then you wanted To hurt me?'  
  
The song ended and the band took their bows and left the stage, turning it back to the DJ, who filled the barn with country music once again. Most of the girls followed the band off to the refreshment bar and a fair number of guys as well. But Hermione didn't feel the urge to meet up with the group. Instead she hung back with Draco and they found themselves standing awkwardly alone with Harry, who didn't look comfortable either. But Harry didn't seem to want to voice what he was feeling; he cleared his throat and began talking to Hermione, ignoring Draco as much as possible.  
  
"So," he said after the DJ started a new song. "This was a good idea, everyone seems to be having fun. No problems so far, Professor Cassar told me to tell you he was going up to the house with the other adults and he wanted to make sure you guys watched out for our group," he took a sip of the drink in his hands and turned, rather business like to Draco.  
  
"Where did you learn all those dances before? I wouldn't think you were one to attend many square dances." His tone was light but Hermione could tell he was trying not to sound condescending. He would have done a good job if it weren't for the fact that Hermione knew Harry better then he knew himself.  
  
"Well actually Potter, most of the Muggle singers aren't only Muggle performers, most just perform to Muggles fore more money, but are in fact witches and wizards." Harry nodded, not having a response, but Draco continued." Also, hard enough as it is to believe, I happen to be a teenager, and I too, sneak out of the house to have fun. I know that hard to believe seeing as though I am Draco Malfoy spawn of the devil." He started laughing and Harry didn't seem to be able to stop himself from doing the same. It was hard for Hermione to understand the effect Draco could have on people if he wanted to be your friend and to enjoy his company, and then he could make you like him, by just cracking a joke or by being sincere.  
  
****  
  
The night ended uneventful, no harm done at all. Except of course Ron's being completely speechless upon returning to find Harry and Draco laughing over some joke, but he softened to at least ignoring Draco instead of throwing nasty comments with him back and forth.  
  
After the DJ ended the dance with another slow song, Hogwarts students said goodbye to the locals and headed to their lodgings. Hermione found Pansy and they walked over to the lodges they were to sleep in. The farm the dance was held at was also the home of a summer camp, where there were log cabins with bunks and even showers. As the head girl and her roommate, Hermione and Pansy received their own two-person cabin, as Draco and Harry did, where everyone else was across the way sharing cabins with 3 other people.  
  
"That was great!" Pansy squealed, still dancing around, pulling leaves off overhead branches and flinging them back up skywards when she had handfuls. " I can't imagine just having a dance because you wanted to, there was no boring government talk, no discussing, no boring adult talk! It was great!" Hermione laughed and pulled the door to their cabin open.  
  
Suddenly a black shape came flying out of the door at them, Hermione and Pansy both shrieked and ran back away from the cabin, Pansy in tears. They ran right into two people running over to investigate their screaming. It was Draco and Harry, Hermione flung her arms around Draco and the two boys tried to calm the girls down. Snape came up behind them.  
  
"What seems to be the matter here?" Snape asked, taking in Pansy's tear streaked face and their shallow breaths.  
  
"Sorry Professor," Draco said releasing his grip on Hermione and stepping towards the professor, a smirk on his face. "It seams the girls were startled by a bat or a bird, coming out of their cabin." Harry started to laugh and let go of Pansy, who had thrown her arms around him and cried into his shoulder  
  
Pansy whipped her tears away and gave the professor a small smile. "Sorry we screamed Professor, caught us off guard. But we're fine now." She turned to Hermione who nodded in agreement.  
  
"Yes, we'll be fine, just, could you guys, you know, check for anything else?" then Snape too was laughing, however shortly, but laughing all the same.  
  
* Thanks to: Couch Potato- thanks, short but sweet, I like that! Dobbie-luvs-sweeties- thanks, schnoogle isn't all that bad, but I will put this story there too, and also continue to write here too.  
  
The song in this fic 'Love's little meanings' was written by me and is under copy write laws, and any using it without permission from myself, consequences under penalty by law. 


	8. Chapter 7 Love is Blind

Well I never ever planned on taking this long with this chapter but I hope its long enough to make up for the space between chapters, I love writing this story but I'm kind of lazy in the typing it up part. I made this one nice and long for you! Over 5000 words and that's not including the author note or thanks at the end. I used an Elton John song called Tiny Dancer, so the song belongs to Elton! So I apologise and I will try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible.  
  
Chapter 7 Love is Blind  
  
Hermione hung back with Pansy as the guys walked up to the cabin door and without hesitating, as the girls would have done, Draco pushed the door open and Harry then felt for the light switch inside.  
  
The trees swayed in the wind and Pansy clutched Hermione's arm when a bird cried out as it flew from the moving tree. The guys stepped in and Pansy turned to Hermione looking frightened but trying to hide it. And doing a horrible job.  
  
"Maybe we should go inside, you know, because the guys might need some help, you wouldn't want them to be in there alone." She looked around at the silent trees and swallowed. "Or us out here." She added and Hermione laughed, following the guys into the cabin and closing the door behind them.  
  
The cabin was a councillor's cabin, so it had a sitting area as well as a bathroom. The sitting room was the whole first room, off to the left of the back wall was a door marked 'Bathroom' and next to it on either side, was two bedrooms. All the sitting room furniture, which were two love seats and an armchair around a coffee table, were made of wicker and had large, comfortable looking cushions on them.  
  
The guys came out of the bathroom and Harry went to one bedroom and Draco into the other. They came out moments afterwards and Draco smirked at the girls, Pansy still clutching Hermione. Draco had found it odd that Pansy had befriended Hermione, but then mentioned that Pansy never could keep old grudges given the opportunity to fix everything.  
  
"Well there isn't any thing here." Harry said heading towards the door of the cabin. He turned to look at Hermione, then at Draco for a long hard second. Draco looked back, sympathy playing on his face, and then he nodded at Harry, who nodded back and cleared his throat to speak, and spoke not meeting her eye.  
  
"I'm off to bed now, night everyone. See you later Malfoy." And he turned and left. Hermione understood almost instantly, Harry had given up, he took the night as an official announcement that read, 'potter has no chance' written in bolded words. This shocked Hermione greatly, she had never known Harry to give up on something without a fight.  
  
Hermione turned to look at Draco and then to Pansy. Both looking back at her, with a different expression on their faces. Pansy looked confused and curious; maybe she caught on a bit to the little exchange. Draco looked hopeful and anxious. Hermione suddenly felt very much awake.  
  
"I think I could use a cup of tea, haven't had one in a week!" she took out her want and waved it at the coffee table in the middle of the room and a tray of hot tea and butter cookies, there were three cups but Pansy shook her head at the offered cup.  
  
"No I think I'll go to bed, all this excitement has made me tired as hell!" she yawned as if to prove her point, and turned to the door where they had dropped their bags and then turned to the bedrooms, going into the one on the left then seconds latter back out. She paused a moment before saying "this one is too small, I need breathing space." Then she moved into the second one and closed the door behind her.  
  
Draco laughed and sat down next to Hermione, putting one arm around her, the other holding his cup of tea. She settled into him sipping her tea and breathing in his scent, he smelt of ripe oranges and pepper, a strange bitter, sweet, and spicy mix. She could never seem to place what it was, but she couldn't get enough of it in her lungs.  
  
"Pansy was always somewhat of a hog, always wanted more then you wanted to give her." Draco balanced his cup on his knee and played with one of Hermione's braids absentmindedly.  
  
"She isn't that bad Draco, she just needs to get comfortable I think." Hermione said putting her cup on the table and turning to Draco, smiling up at him, unsure about what she was about to ask, but asked it anyway. "Why did you treat her like you did? After you two broke up?" Hermione bit her lip and he turned to look at her, his eyes full of an emotion that she would never get used to seeing in his eyes, shame.  
  
" I was only with her because of my father, and when I broke free of his hold, I found that all the feelings I had felt for her were gone, not genuine. It was a spell, a trick of some sort. I felt cheated, and resentful and I took it out on her. I know now I shouldn't have." Hermione had tears in her eyes, she took his cup and set it on the table next to hers and then took him up in a hug. He hugged back and when the parted it was only to shift positions on the couch so Hermione could comfortably rest her head on his, taking in his warmth.  
  
"Did you ever tell her? Does she know?" She asked, and felt his chest rumble with a small ironic laugh before he answered.  
  
"No she doesn't know, you try telling someone you never meant a word you said when they believed and meant everything they said and did. I thought of it, but never brought myself to do it." He raised his had up to rest on the back of her neck and pulled her towards him, kissing her tenderly. " But I would never do that to you Hermione," he said looking into her eyes, willing her to believe him. "We are different, I can feel this is right, I love you for real Hermione Granger, I always will." She kissed him passionately, as if he were about to leave her and never come back again. She kissed him as if her life depended on it. And he kissed her with the same passion, the same desperate hunger.  
  
When they broke apart panting for air Hermione put her ear to his chest and listened to his heart race and felt it pound against his chest as hers was pounding against her own, as if she had just run a marathon. She felt just as tired, and could feel her eyelids get heavy and felt herself fall asleep to the rhythm of Draco's steadying heart.  
  
~*~+*+~*~+*+~*~+*+~*~+*+  
  
Hermione felt herself being moved, strong arms wrapped themselves around her legs and back and she was being carried somewhere. She hadn't been moved like this since she was much younger. She briefly remembered falling asleep in from of the fire, waiting for Santa Clause on Christmas Eve and her father lifting her and taking her off to her room to tuck her in.  
  
She fluttered her eyes open as she felt herself being set down on her bed for the night. Draco was pulling the blankets up on top of her and didn't realise she had awoken until he brought them up to her chin. He smiled a lopsided smile and lent down to kiss her forehead.  
  
"Its late." He whispered against her forehead. "You should get some sleep." He turned to go but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back to her, his arm warm against her cool hand.  
  
"Stay with me please?" she asked, not wanting him to leave, wanting him to stay with her, so she could wake up in the morning and know that it wasn't just a dream that the night really did happen. That he really loved her as much as he said he did. She wanted him to be near, always and forever. He looked into her eyes for a long hard second before nodding and pulling his boots off and then went around the bed to where she could feel him lifting the blanket and then climb in the bed behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled unto him, her back pressed against the warmth of his chest. His arm snug around her middle.  
  
He kissed the back of her neck and sighed heavily. "Goodnight Hermione." He said sleepily.  
  
"Goodnight love." And once again she fell asleep in his arms.  
  
~*~  
  
Hermione was back in that dreamland, no not dream, nightmare land. It was the same this time, like all the other times, all the nights. She was in the same over crowded train station. She knew she shouldn't just stand there like that, she knew in her heart that evil was coming. But her dream self had no idea. Her dream self was waiting patiently for her father, smiling at the faceless people who walked by. No this wasn't the same, the sky, it was still light out, it was supposed to be dark; there were no shadows, non at all. This nightmare was changing. The faces came into focus; all the people were smiling back. She felt safe; there was no cold feeling. She felt strong warm arms wrap around her. She wasn't in danger. She was safe.  
  
+*+  
  
  
  
"BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!" Hermione faintly heard the train whistle, wait that wasn't the train whistle, it couldn't be. She tried to let her mind drift back to the warm dreamland she was in only moments ago, but she felt herself being gently shaken. She fluttered her eyes open and turned around to snuggle closer to the person gently shaking her.  
  
"Hermione, Hermione? Your bag is beeping." Draco said, tilting her back a bit so he could see her face. "Common Hermione you bag, its beeping." She opened her eyes again and sat up, she looked towards the beeping sound, her bag was by the door, and Draco must have taken it with them last night. The beeping was muffled. She began to crawl out of bed and towards the end, then hung off the end of the end unzipped her bag.  
  
"It my alarm clock, we have to go get ready, we only have 30 minutes to get ready before we have to get ready for breakfast, and then there is only 2 hours before we leave. And we volunteered the group to help clean up after last night's dance." She pulled out her alarm clock and turned it off. She turned over and sat up facing a sleepy Draco yawning. He was an image in the morning, his hair was ruffled and sticking up, his shirt was wrinkled and he must have taken off his pants because she could see the boxers he wore underneath the covers. A snitch flew across the waistband and disappeared. He laughed and she looked up from the boxers blushing.  
  
"My mum bought them for me." He got up and walked to the small window and pulled up the blind. "Hermione! It's still dark! What time did u set the clock for?" he turned back to her, as she slipped off the bed and grabbed her morning bag, and headed through the door.  
  
"Only 5:30." She said, turning back at the door to face him, he looked wearily back out the window and then to her.  
  
"We don't even get up that early at Claire Ville!" he said climbing back under the covers and closing his eyes. She flicked the light on and he pulled the covers over his head. She laughed sat next to him on the bed, pulling the covers back down, kissing his forehead.  
  
"Common love, I promised Professor Snape I'd help and he said to be up early. Fine if you want you can sleep in and I'll do it myself." She stood up but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back kissing her before breaking apart and nodding.  
  
"Alright, alright. I'll go and have a shower and meet you back here in 20 minutes. But lets not wake up this early ever again ok?" she laughed and agreed.  
  
"Ok, next time, I'll just lie and say its six ok?" she ducked as he threw a pillow at her and then ran out of the room. "Common we are going to be late!"  
  
*  
  
Hermione was ready in 15 minutes and waited in the living room of the cabin for Draco to come back so hey could go up to the house where the adults were staying. She looked at her watch and grew impatient, it was 6:00 already and he wasn't there yet. She stood up ready to leave without him when the door opened and he came in, looking good, his hair still wet from his shower.  
  
"Well lets go, don't want to keep the adults waiting do we?" He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the door and closed it behind them, she almost told him she had been waiting for him but she wasn't upset anymore, her hand in his warm and her heart beating quickly. No one had ever made her feel like this before, the mere thought of him made her heart race and her skin tingle.  
  
When they reached the barn once again they saw Professor Cassar coming out of it, smiling tiredly at them.  
  
"My favourite students, I imagine you had fun last night? No problems?" he started to walk towards the large house behind the barn and Hermione and Draco followed.  
  
"Yes Professor I think everyone had a great time, and no problems short of jealous boyfriends eyeing the entertainment." Hermione gave a laugh and Draco eyed her evilly, Cassar laughed as well but didn't catch Draco's look.  
  
" I heard of your and Pansy's little scare last night Hermione, are you two ok?" Cassar asked, they had reached the house and he slipped off his shoes and stepped in, motioning for them to join him, which they did.  
  
"Yea, we're fine, just startled. Pansy was fine right after we checked the rest of the cabin." The house was impressive inside, the ceiling was high and a large stain glass window was the first thing they saw when they walked in. Cassar led them around the window and into a very large kitchen.  
  
Around the large wooden kitchen table sat a number of adults. Professor Snape and Chanda, two strangers and one man that Hermione remembered seeing at the dance the night before, In front of each adult was a mug of coffee or tea, and no one looked less awake then Chanda. When professor Cassar came in with Hermione and Draco on of the strangers, a female who reminded Hermione of Mrs. Weasley, stood up and pulled out two more chairs inviting them to sit down. Hermione looked to Snape, who nodded hen sat down next to him, Draco in front of her and Cassar next to him.  
  
"Gina, Dominic, these are our head boy and head girl, Gina and Dominic own this ranch. Gina they will be helping with breakfast." Snape said reaching into his pocket and pulling out a set of car keys. "Miss Granger I trust you can drive." He said tossing the keys toward her and smiling evilly. "We need you to go ad pick up some things for breakfast. We would go ourselves but, well, we just don't want to." The other adults laughed and Draco looked confused.  
  
"Drive what?" He asked looking at Snape then back at Hermione. Hermione wondered if the other adults would find his question odd, but sighed in relief as Gina replied.  
  
"Dominic's car Draco dear." She said pointing out the window and at a shiny purple pickup truck. "I'd let you two use the van but I have a flat." Professor Cassar turned to Hermione and smiled tiredly once more.  
  
"Hermione you can drive right?" He asked taking a sip of his coffee. Hermione nodded.  
  
"I just finished getting it, what do you guys need me to get? Is there a list?" Gina nodded and stood up from the table once again, she walked over to the island that sat in the middle of the kitchen and came back with a folded piece of paper.  
  
"I think you guys will be able to find the store, I know you guys aren't familiar with the area so I drew a mad on the back. Here is the money, I know it's a lot of food, but Draco you're a strong boy you can manage can't you?" Gina handed the list to Hermione and smiled at Draco, who nodded. The list was a little long but it defiantly wasn't cold pizza. There were sausages, eggs, beacon, hash browns, milk, juice, bread, English muffins, butter, jelly, and peanut butter. So many things Hermione could hardly believe it. "Be sure to get plenty of everything, we'll show you English a real hardy breakfast. And anything left over the pigs will like, maybe except the beacon." Everyone joined her in laughing and then they showed Hermione and Draco to the door.  
  
"Hermione I never knew you could drive one of these things. Draco said opening the door to the passenger side, which Hermione had to remind herself, was on the other side in Canada.  
  
"I just got my licence, lets just hope its automatic." And it was, to Hermione's great relief. " Now put your seatbelt on, and then we can get out of here for a bit. Even if it is just for shopping.  
  
They followed the map and soon found themselves and a 24-hour IGA. Draco jumped a foot in the air when they came to the automatic doors and Hermione was beside herself with laughter. The place was empty and the music seemed louder in the empty isles. The workers tiredly helped them with what they couldn't find. And Hermione had a good time with Draco food shopping. In the end they needed two shopping carts, they explained that they were a large family to the curious looking clerks and laughed as they eyed the 60 pounds of sausages in the first cart.  
  
Hermione found she was laughing again as Draco jumped every time the cash register beeped. He closely followed the actions of the food crossing over the scanner and the beep that followed immediately after. They paid a lot for the food and went back through the automatic doors, Draco jumping just a little this time, and Hermione started the car as Draco piled everything into the back of the pick up. She turned on the radio and one of her favourite songs came on. It was one of the songs her father had forced her to listen to in many car rides, but Hermione had grown to love the song. She sad along as they started to drive back to the ranch.  
  
Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand  
  
Jesus freaks out in the street Handing tickets out for God Turning back she just laughs The boulevard is not that bad  
  
Piano man he makes his stand In the auditorium Looking on she sings the songs The words she knows the tune she hums  
  
But oh how it feels so real Lying here with no one near Only you and you can hear me When I say softly slowly  
  
Hold me closer tiny dancer Count the headlights on the highway Lay me down in sheets of linen You had a busy day today  
  
Hold me closer tiny dancer Count the headlights on the highway Lay me down in sheets of linen You had a busy day today  
  
Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand  
  
Draco clapped loudly as the station switched songs and Hermione looked to him briefly then back to the road, embarrassed. "Wow Hermione I never knew you could sing, that was amazing, even if you were singing that poof's song!"  
  
"Draco!!" Hermione said looking at him again in shock, "Draco it's not nice to say something about someone you don't even know, he was knighted by the queen! Wait how do you know about Elton john?" She looked back to the road and out of the corner of her eye she could see he was about to answer when the car cell phone rang.  
  
"It's the house." Hermione said looking down at the phone then to the road as she turned the radio down and pickup up the phone. "Hello?" It was Gina.  
  
"Hermione dear, could you do me a favour?? You look old enough, can you stop by the gas station and buy us a pack of cigarettes, Demure, king. Dominic just ran out. Could you do that for me then?" Hermione agreed and hung up with Gina. She saw the gas station and pulled into it.  
  
"What are we doing stopping here?" Draco asked as Hermione stepped out of the car, ad followed her, she locked the doors with the remote and grabbed his hand, as they walked in to the small Petrol Canada store.  
  
"Gina wants a pack of smokes, that was just her on the car phone." They waited in line and Draco looked at the magazines, he picked up a copy of Mad magazine and started laughing at the cartoons inside. Hermione apologized to the clerk and took the magazine away from him; he didn't seem to mind as he was close to tears with laughter. Hermione was surprised when the clerk allowed her to buy a pack of smokes without question.  
  
Soon they were back in the car and on the way to the ranch. Draco discovered the window control and rolled his down all the way then turned the station to Z 103.5 and blasted the music. Hermione laughed as Draco tried to follow to the chorus to 'Irresistible' by Jessica Simpson. And then wowed him by following along with the whole song of the 'Real Slim Shady'. When they pulled into the long driveway of the ranch they were laughing so hard at Draco's version of Christina Agularia's 'Gene in a bottle'. It was almost 7:00 when they rolled the windows up and turned the radio down and killed the engine.  
  
A less tired looking Professor Cassar came out of the house followed by Snape and Dominic, they took over the car and drove it to the barn where there was a big grill and barbeque, and left the bread, butter, and eggs with Hermione and Draco to bring into the house to Gina who had the toaster. They went to Gina and she asked them to help her toad and butter the bread, she turned on the radio and started to fry the eggs. She chatted to them about the ranch and the horses, and about how long the ranch had been going for. Then she suddenly asked a personal question.  
  
"Are you two together?" she smiled at them as if it was an innocent question, and Hermione looked at Draco, who was watching her. She remembered last night at the dance and the song my faith hill that they played, Breathe, and how at the moment she felt the song couldn't be more perfect for the two of them. She looked back at the waiting Gina and nodded.  
  
"Yes, we are." Gina smiled knowingly and nodded at Draco.  
  
"I could tell, they way you act around each other. I remember when I met Dominic. I could swear it was love at first sight. He stood there in my father's front room trying to explain how he had found one of our horses wondering the road. I don't think my father believed him but I couldn't take my eyes off of him. Then he turned and caught my eye, gave me a wink, and turned back to my father. Love at first sight." She smiled again at the memory and turned the egg over in the frying pan. "Married a year later at 20 years old." She started on making a very large helping of scrambled eggs in one of the largest frying pans Hermione had ever seen. Draco smiled at Hermione and then turned to Gina.  
  
" I didn't think we were that obvious." He said and Gina laughed and nodded, pushing the eggs around in the pan. The song changed on the radio to a Spanish song the announcer call 'The Ketchup Song' and Gina handed Hermione the plate of fried eggs.  
  
"Well, as they say, 'Love is blind'"  
  
~*~  
  
After they had finished buttering the bread Hermione excused herself to go wake up Pansy. She had decided, shortly after telling Gina about her and Draco, that she needed to tell Pansy about them. There was no reason to keep it from pansy any longer; she was a friend to Hermione now. Draco also excused himself to 'wake that git Potter' and they walked towards the side- be-side councillor cabins, hands together and arms swinging slightly.  
  
"I'm going to tell Pansy." Hermione said turning to look at Draco's eyes. Those silver eyes that met hers lovingly. "About us." He nodded and looked back at the cabins then up at the sky.  
  
"If that's what you want to do I wouldn't stop you, but just to warn you, Pansy isn't the best at keeping secrets." He said stopping and turning to her, capturing her lips in his and kissing her deeply. Her head spun as she allowed his tongue to massage her own. When they broke apart Hermione looked up at him, catching her breath and held his upper arms.  
  
"It is what I want to do, and I don't want it to be a secret, I told you last night, I don't care who knows, I'd just rather my friends heard from me and not the grape vine." He nodded his understanding and took her hand in his again and they quickly finished their way to the cabins, Hermione going in hers and Draco in his own.  
  
Inside the cabin Hermione could hear only silence, she checked her watch, it was only 7:30, and that meant Pansy would defiantly still be asleep. So Hermione crept to Pansy's door and knocked before opening it a crack. Pansy was in fact still sleeping, she had her nightclothes on and she had flung the covers off in the middle of the night. Hermione walked into the room and realized that it was bigger then her room, considerably. When she reached the edge of Pansy's bed she sat down and gently shook the girl awake.  
  
"What?" Pansy sleepily said, eyes still closed, into her pillow. "What time is it?"  
  
"Its 7:30 Pansy dear, common get up, I need to tell you something." Hermione turned the girl to face her and Pansy opened one eye against the light coming from the living room.  
  
" If it has anything to do with you and Draco sleeping in your room last night, I know, I saw. Don't worry I know you didn't do anything. Now can I please go back to sleep?" Then she burst out laughing opening both eyes. "You should have seen your face! Oh my god! It was too funny I wish I had a camera!" Hermione started to laugh too and Pansy got up a minute later and quickly got ready, Hermione speechlessly waited. Then they went to the boy's cabin and knocked on the door, before it opened Hermione warned Pansy not to say anything to Harry about it.  
  
"Don't worry Hermione the word is mum." She winked and looked to the now opening door. Draco stood there looking mad, fuming actually. Before they could ask he explained his anger.  
  
"That git threw a shoe at me!" And then they were off laughing again; Hermione and Pansy were clutching their sides as Draco stood there looking at them as if they came from another planet. Recovering first Hermione turned to Pansy, who was still clutching her side giggling.  
  
"Just wake up Harry and I'll bring captain moody here to breakfast, just make sure he knows you aren't Draco, or I fear he might throw his other shoe." She grabbed Draco and pulled him out the open door and closed it behind them. "Harry just isn't a morning person Draco, don't take it too personally."  
  
"I take Pansy took the news rather well." Draco said smiling a bit himself, but still wanting to change the subject.  
  
"I didn't need to tell her, she told me." Draco gave her a confused look and she explained. She must have looked in on me last night and saw us sleeping, and she knows that's all we did." He nodded and wrapped his arm around her shoulder pulling her to him.  
  
Breakfast was the highlight of the morning; all the students were drawn towards the delicious aroma of coking food. They flocked like bees to honey, very tired bees to honey, and sat and the long picnic tables and passed the platters of food around. Soon everyone was awake enough to chat and the table was alive with gossiping students. Hermione sat with Draco, Pansy, a tired Harry, and Ron. They were talking about the dance, as everyone else was, and Pansy went on and on about how much fun she had had with a local boy named John. After everyone had had first helpings and was starting on seconds, Professor Cassar stood up from his spot and held up his mug of coffee.  
  
"Thank you Gina and Dominic for allowing us to attend you dance and for allowing us the comfort of you lodgings. It was a great experience for the students and very enjoyable." The students clapped loudly and cheered as Gina's smile beamed down the tables at everyone. "And I think you should also thank Hermione and Draco for getting up early to go buy all this lovely food for you all." Again the students clapped and cheered.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Jessica: I'm so glad you think it is so cool, I meant it to be!  
  
Crystallinelily: I hope you were able to read the last chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one, please review again!!  
  
Couch Patato: Thanks! I will continue writing!  
  
I wish I had more reviews! ;( Please R&R! Thanks to everyone who read the story! Hope you all enjoy it! DD 


	9. Blatching

The Price of Education Chapter 8: Blatching  
  
"Who volunteered us for this?" Ron demanded loudly as he picked up another pop can off the floor and into the garbage bag in his hand. There was a lot more garbage then expected and it was taking longer then needed because everyone stopped to complain every few seconds.  
  
"Guys come on, they were nice enough to let us stay here and feed us and keep us entertained, and the least we can do is help clean up. If you would all stop complaining then we would be finished by now." Hermione said tying off her garbage bag and replacing it with a new one. She hadn't mentioned it was her who volunteered the group but she was sure they would figure it out. And she was right.  
  
"It was you wasn't it." Millicent Bulstrode roared, throwing down her bag and stomping over to Hermione, standing a good head and shoulders taller then Hermione. However Hermione was Headgirl and wasn't about to back down to this girl in front of her peers, no matter how intimidating. "You volunteered us didn't you?"  
  
"Yes I did. And if you have a problem with that I'd rather you didn't yell in my face about it." By then everyone else had dropped what they were doing to watch the to girls, almost toe to toe, staring each other down. Draco made his way as quickly as he could from where he was standing, but that was on the other side of the barn and everyone was in his way.  
  
"Well I do have a problem with that. Who gave you permission to speak for us? Who said you could volunteer us for house elf work." Draco was within earshot and stepped up his speed, Bulstrode was known for her temper and her mouth running faster then her brain.  
  
"I'm Headgirl Millicent, and as far working like a house elf, I think it will do you some good, maybe you should learn that mommy and daddy wont always be able to send the house elf to help you. So continue to clean." Hermione stepped back ready to leave when Millicent grabbed her arm and held tight.  
  
"You clean. I'd rather have Mommy and daddy send the house elf then take orders from a filthy mudblood." Hermione gasped along with the rest of the Gryffindor, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Tears sprang up in her eyes, she felt humiliated. The words hurt more now that they had been said in front of her entire year. Millicent smiled viciously at the sight of those tears and laughed before dropping her arm. Hermione turned; ready to run when she felt a hand on her arm again. She turned and saw Draco looking madder then she had ever seen him before. He looked to Millicent and the smile slipped from her face at the sight of his sharp eyes.  
  
"Don't ever call her that again. Don't you dare use it. Because it means that she is less then you are, and god knows she isn't. All your doing is repeating a Death Eater chant, and you never stop to think. Look at them," he paused pointing to the group of Slytherin looking back at him with malice, " and then look at her, and just think-think very carefully- before you ever say that again." He looked once more at the group of Slytherins and then spun to face Hermione, who was crying silently behind him. He slipped his grip from her arm to her hand and pulled her away from the group of students. The students were all stunned, no one could believe their ears, no one except Pansy and Harry, who each took one look at each other then followed the crying Hermione and Draco, pushing past the silent group.  
  
*  
  
Draco led Hermione away from the group and into a wooded area. Sitting down at the base of a tall weeping willow, she could smell the strong scent of the camomile plants growing wildly in the brush around her. It made Hermione breath in deeply; she could never resist the sweet aroma of the plant, which grew around her family's property, in the deep wooded areas that met their neatly manicured lawn. Hermione's father would have torn the trees down if it hadn't been for her mother, who begged him to leave the beautiful acre because she enjoyed walking the beaten paths and often brought home armfuls of camomile and rosemary to place in the house for aroma and for the amazing anxiety relief. Hermione had her eyes closed, letting the camomile and the gentle breeze calm her. She could feel Draco sitting next to her and wrap his arms around her, he was warm and his hands were soft on her cheeks. He held her face in his hands and kissed her forehead gently. She opened her eyes to see anger still in his eyes, it startled her, the hate behind his eyes was so intense, but also there was something else. Shame. But immediately the anger softened and he brushed a stray tear from her face. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off.  
  
"Oh Hermione!" Hermione felt herself being crushed as Pansy threw her arms around her back wrapping her and Draco into a tight, but brief, hug. When she let go Hermione turned around to face Pansy and felt tears begin again. She didn't know why but seeing Pansy made fresh tears come streaming down her face. Pansy hugged her again, this time more gently and patted her back at the same time. "Oh Hermione, ignore that beast! She couldn't tell a house elf from her brother. She runs her mouth. I'll take care of her. Don't worry." She pulled back and smiled at Hermione. And once again Hermione was surprised. Pansy had done a complete turn around. At the beginning of the trip Pansy would have been the one calling her a mudblood, but Pansy wasn't as cruel hearted as she put out. With one night of honest confessions, where Pansy reviled herself in a way Hermione would never have thought possible for the hurtful girl. And also where Hermione had spoken of her past as a muggle and how she was treated just as horribly by her peers as the Slytherins treat her. After that night the girls developed a mutual trust and friendship. But Hermione knew this shouldn't stand between Pansy and completing her last year at Hogwarts with her Slytherin friends, and with her Gryffindor friend.  
  
"No Pansy," Hermione said wiping the last of her tears from her face, pulling her mused hair back into its neat ponytail. "No, I don't want you to start anything with Millicent, she was just angry and it is within her nature to insult a muggle born witch when in that situation. But." she began when she saw the shocked faces of both Pansy and Harry, who had stood silently behind Pansy watching the Slytherins comfort his best friend. "But I will be taking a great amount of points from Slytherin, I'm sorry about that Pansy, but it would be against my better judgment to allow you to 'take care' of her. You understand don't you?" Pansy smiled and hugged Hermione once more.  
  
"Yes of course I understand, I understand we have our old Hermione back!" And they laughed, even though she could still feel the hurt, Hermione pushed it aside and sat back against the tree with Draco and Pansy and pulled Harry down onto the ground as well. He looked uncomfortable but Hermione wouldn't let him leave. She wanted her friends to get along, even if it was just for her sake, it meant a lot to her. Hermione and Pansy started to talk about the dance and the guys soon grew very bored, and just as Hermione had hopped, started to talk about Quidditch. This had to be the first time Hermione was actually happy the conversation was Quidditch. Also it looked like the guys weren't going to jump each other anytime soon either. The only time they came anywhere close was when they spoke of the last Quidditch cup match.  
  
"That was not an accident Malfoy he meant to do that, it was Blatching, the ref even called it." Harry said drawing out a pitch in the dry dirt where he was lying on his side in front of Draco.  
  
"No Potter, you have to pay attention, they were both seekers right?" Harry nodded. "And they were both diving for the snitch right?" Again Harry nodded. " And Diana Jones was coming in from the right, and old Eliot Morison from the left right?" Again Harry nodded, this time impatiently, but didn't say anything. "So when they went to position themselves for the dive the Falmouth Falcon's beater Nick Ross, shot the Bludger at Jones, causing her to swerve her broom, and since they were so close into the dive the slight swerve looked deliberate. No Blacthing, just a blind ref and 26 thousand Montrose Magpies fans. Might have called it the same if I was that ref, I'd fear for my life with that lot screaming about like a bunch of Banshees." Harry shook his head and sat up again.  
  
"I'll believe it when I see it." He said throwing a rock past the dipping leave of the tree, a small 'plunk' followed as it landed in the shallow pond the weeping willow was nestled next to.  
  
"Fine when we get back to Claire Ville I'll show you, I have the whole thing on my Omnioculars. We were sitting right behind them and I had the perfect view of the whole thing." Draco answered also throwing a stone clear through the leaves, but this time it wasn't followed by a 'plunk' but by a voice.  
  
"Ow!" Ron stumbled through the tree's hanging branched and leaves, rubbing the side of his head in pain. "Who threw that bloody rock!" he demanded a look of malice so frightening on his face that Hermione couldn't help burst out into laughter. And Pansy and Harry soon followed her, and then Draco was laughing too, holding his side at the look of anger on Ron's face. Ron strode up to Draco and nudged him with his foot. "You threw it right? Thought it would be funny, did you?" Draco couldn't stop laughing, his face red, which made Harry burst out laughing again and then Pansy once more. They leaned against each other for support and Ron looked at Harry in disgust but before he could say anything Hermione controlled herself enough to speak between giggles.  
  
"Ron it was an accident, look behind you, we can't see through that mess of branches. Lighten up it was an accident!" Ron still looked mad so Hermione grabbed his foot and pulled him down. When the small cloud of dust settled down Ron too was laughing, rubbing his sore back.  
  
"Well I came here to get you all, Professor Snape said it was time to leave. We finished cleaning up, and Millicent got shit. Snape heard the whole thing and took 30 points from Slytherin; we were all dumb from shock that he threatened double that if we all didn't 'loose that dumb look'. Said to everyone that, that kind of behaviour was not suitable from the oldest students at Hogwarts, that he didn't want to hear one more person speak ill of anyone else's background, and said if anyone else challenged a prefect or Head boy or Head Girl, that it would be worse of a punishment then just lost points." Ron shook his head in wonder. "I thought I'd just about died and went to Quidditch heaven. Snape taking point from his own house!" They all laughed at the expression on Ron's face and picked themselves off the ground. Dusting themselves off Harry asked Ron a question.  
  
"Ron, remember that Blatching call at the Cup?"  
  
~*~ That's all for now, I know its short, so sue me! Not in a good mood! 


End file.
